Los - Becoming King MIXTAPE REVIEW

History has shown, since the 90's, a deal with Bad Boy could guarantee you a 90% chance at stardom. Courtesy of Diddy, the list of  notable names that caught a glimpse of stardom are endless. Most notably Biggie. Then there's Craig Mack, Faith Evans, Mase, The LOX, Black Rob, G. Dep, Yung Joc, Cassie and so on. Most recently the signing of French Montana and Machine Gun Kelly have made them popular names as well. Well the next Bad Boy artist up that may catch that same glimpse of stardom is Los. As a native of Baltimore myself, it was only right that I review this latest project from Los who of course is from Baltimore as well. So yeah, there might be a bit of hometown bias in this review. Now this is my first time hearing a full project from him. Before it was just some freestyles and a few featured verses that I heard. Becoming King for the most part is pretty decent. One of my biggest fears for a Baltimore rapper that finally made it big was if their music would stick to the stereotype that's labeled with the city. That's being a crime infested, drug ridden, and overall dangerous city which is largely depicted in the popular show The Wire. Fortunately, Los doesn't do that. However, he does stick to today's popular and very typical mainstream sound. Which isn't really bad because it will get him over with listeners. The production was pretty good to say the least. Majority of the beats are all mainstream sounding as I stated before. Which again isn't bad considering he has a major deal so that sound is gonna be there. Lyrically he's average. There's are times where I was impressed and there were times where I wasn't. He has delivery and charisma but his flow and lyrics sound like a bunch of other rappers on a number of songs on this tape. There's nothing really unique about his voice or lyrics. Well here's the songs that stood out for me. The second track "Sky Is The Limit" was pretty dope. He channels his inner Biggie here by using the same sample and hook from Biggie's 1997 hit of the same name. I'm willing to bet Diddy had something to do with that. I think overall my favorite song was definitely "Pay Up". It was a hook-less song and the most lyrically dope song on the whole tape. One for the play list for sure. "Disappointed" was cool and funny at the same time. The humor comes from the hook provided by Diddy. I always laugh whenever Diddy raps with that cocky, arrogant "I-have-this-and-you-don't" attitude. But that's just who Puff is. Despite a very poor guest verse from Ludacris the song overall was cool. "Dope" features Pusha T and Yo Gotti and is a definite trunk banger for the whip. This should certainly be a favorite for many. "Burn Slow" was okay but man I thought I would never see the day where it would sound like Wiz Khalifa out-did someone on their own song but it happened. Not saying Los was bad on it but Wiz brought more energy to the track. Speaking of Wiz, he's also featured on the track "Weak" which also features Cassie as well. After a few listens the beat for this grew on me and now I like it. Another trunk banger as well. "Nightmares Of Being Broke" is the most relaxed song on the tape. It's a huge change of pace from the rest of the tracks but a pretty good song nonetheless. Now here are my negatives. I mentioned before Los mixes his flow up a lot and it sounds like various other artists. On "My Biz" he sounds like a combination of Wale and Big Sean (especially towards the end when he's kinda "rap-talking" over the beat). In fact he sounds like Big Sean on majority of the songs on this tape ("O.D." was another example of one). The song was okay but the flow is what made me have a dislike for it somewhat. He samples LL Cool J's classic hit "Doin' It" for the track "Doing You Well". It's on this track where he delivers a J. Cole-like flow for the ladies. Didn't like that too much but the sample was okay. Now I did mention that I did like "Dope" but he had a A$AP Rocky-like flow on that which I didn't like after first listen. It gets better. On "Why You Mad" he gets his Future on with the auto-tune. It sounds like a very poor attempt at a radio/club hit. Even on this he used Big Sean's ad-libs ("hold up", "roll up" etc.). The auto-tune madness continues on "Hard Life" where it sounds like he's literally trying to sing. Bad idea. The parts where he was rapping he sounded like Wale again. Although sounding a bit like Wale I could probably live with because it just might be both of their Maryland/DC accents that sound the same. Well in conclusion, this mixtape was just decent. The pros and cons were 50/50. I enjoyed the production the most if anything. I give it a final grade of a C+. I like Los. I'm happy to see him put my city on the map and I'll continue to support him. I think he has the sound, charisma and overall talent to make it big. I just feel like he may need to find a identity with his flow and lyrics because it sounds like he's jacking flows from everybody and that's not good. He's gonna have to grow out of that if he really wants to "become king". End.

Final Grade: C+

Kid Cudi - Indicud ALBUM REVIEW

Strange. Weird. Bizarre. Just a few words many use to describe the kind of alternative music Kid Cudi makes. I'll admit, it took me a while to catch on. I wasn't all that "wowed" with "Day-N-Nite" like most folks were. It had to grow on me. But once I heard his 2009 debut album Man On The Moon: The End Of Day, I could immediately see why he has such a strong following of supporters. His style of hip hop is so far left from everything else you hear today. He's able to blend so many different sounds and genre's like rap, R&B, pop, rock, funk, techno, jazz etc. It's because of this that I sometimes like to label him as a "genre-less" artist. Meaning his music is that unique that it's sound like a whole new undiscovered genre. This in short is what drew me more into following his music. Thus, anticipating this. His third album Indicud. First off I want to address the interesting album title which I believe represents what majority of folks might categorize this album as. Alternative indie hip hop. The title is basically two words: Indie and Cudi. Together making Indicud. Pretty cool. Now by far my favorite project from him was his 2010 sophomore effort Man On The Moon II: The Legend Of Mr. Rager. I myself believed his raised the bar quite high for himself after that one which had me wondering if Indicud would even be half as good as that. Honestly, I didn't gravitate towards this as quick as I did to the second album but this album was definitely a good project. It basically has every I would expect from a Kid Cudi album. The a fore mentioned genre blending, that dreary, zoned out and "acid trippy" sounding music. The kind of sound that stoners love as most people describe it. All production was good but not great like the last two albums. Nothing sounded too mainstream however. Not even the singles. For somebody like him that's a plus. Lyrics were good as well. Lyrically, Cudi has a way of story telling through these eerie sounding songs that paints vivid murals in your mind. This is a talent a lot of these new MC's lack lyrically and quite frankly is why I like Kid Cudi. Now on to what I liked about the album. I loved what was done with the intro ("The Resurrection Of Scott Mescudi"), the middle interlude ("New York City Rage Fest"), and the outro ("The Flight Of The Moon Man"). All three are eerie and "spacey" sounding instrumental interludes that takes you away to this world that he is in exploring all of these thoughts of his. Sets the tone perfectly. There were two songs where I couldn't decide which is my favorite of the album between the two. The first was "Cold Blooded". This had more of a up tempo dancy kind of beat but I enjoyed it a lot. Even his R&B-ish hook. It reminds me of the the two singles "Make Her Say" and "Erase Me" from his previous two albums. The other was "Brothers". The song just simply talks about his homies (his "brothers") and the trust he has for them. A$AP Rocky and King Chip deliver two good guest verses too. He delivers some more R&B flavor on "Immortal" where he's keeps describing himself as this being with super powers. In other words him being "immortal". Nice song. Though it wasn't as good as part 1 from the first album, "Solo Dolo Pt. II" was still pretty cool. I loved the much more faster paced beat which fits perfectly for the well delivered guest verse from Kendrick Lamar. After a couple of listens I found myself liking "Red Eye". The hook was done wonderfully by Haim and sounds like it could do well on the crossover pop/hip hop charts. "Unfuckwittable" speaks for itself. Right now no one can touch Cudi in this style of music and that's pretty much what he's boasting about when it comes to the title. He goes on to speak about his main goal which is to spread positivity out of negativity. Great song. I loved his dope and aggressive lyricism on "Lord Of The Sad And Lonely". The aggression may be a result of his sadness and loneliness. I had to listen to "Young Lady" a few times before grasping the concept. It was a great song about him describing the perfect woman but how us (men) are a bit intimidated to tell her how we feel for whatever reason. It goes further than that but I'll keep it brief. My negatives about this are minor. "Beez" was actually a good song. I liked it. But my issue with it is the fact it's more of The RZA and less of  Cudi. To where it sounds more like The RZA featuring Kid Cudi instead of the other way around. I would have love to hear Cudi spit some lyrics on that great beat instead of being on the hook. I'm on the fence about "Afterwards (Bring Yo Friends)". It's a nine minute track that sounds like a two in one. The first part of it has a up tempo almost 90's sounding beat with fantastic vocals from Michael Bolton. The second part of it is where I was scratching my head as it got slower and more dreary as the beat changed. I would have been fine if the whole song was just the first part but that second part threw everything off for me. The whole thing will have to grow on me though. Well overall, I am very pleased with this album. I still place Man On The Moon II as my favorite from Kid Cudi but there is no doubt that this is up there too. I give this a final grade of a strong B-. While I do like the fact that Kid Cudi wanted to be more independent in making this album and producing the entire thing himself, that may have not been the best idea. Otherwise this would have been on par with the first two projects. The beats were okay don't get me wrong, just not as good as I was hoping. With this new genre that Kid Cudi is discovering, there is no way he will fade away anytime soon. Now I look forward to him landing back on the moon on the next album. End.

Final Grade: B-

Cassie - Rocka Bye Baby MIXTAPE REVIEW

It's quite clear to see that times in hip hop and R&B have certainly changed. Now the mixtape game no longer belongs to just rappers. In the past few years, R&B singers have jumped in and took over. Chris Brown, Trey Songz, Keri Hilson and Teairra Mari to name a few, have all released their own. Well now it's Cassie's turn. Cassie has went through quite the transformation over the years musically. Many of us can still remember her debuting in 2006 with that hit record "Me & You" like it happened yesterday. Back then she was just a cute, innocent, soft voiced, 20 year old girl next door type of chick. Now at age 26, she has a whole new sassy attitude and swagger in which this, her debut mixtape Rocka Bye Baby, proves very well. Now she hasn't dropped a project since her self titled debut album seven years ago so I kinda wondered would she sound a little rusty on here seeing as how she hasn't put out any music in so long. But to be honest she still sounds the same and she doesn't sound like she missed a beat. For the most part I thought this tape was just decent. Not good, not bad, just decent. Now obviously, Cassie isn't the best singer in the world, but the sound that she gives on this album I think fits her style of R&B the most. She's not like a Beyonce' who could project her voice loudly and hit high notes, let alone perform doing that. She has a very soft and low toned voice which is perfect for the sound this mixtape generates. On this tape she adds to that soft voice a very dark and seductive like attitude. Which goes along with the theme and again fits her because she has tons of sex appeal. So I'll start with the pros first. The overall production was good and I believe is what made this tape listenable. Of course with the exception of the two beats she jacked (Kendrick Lamar's "m.A.A.d City" and Tyga's "Do My Dance"). Throughout the tape she has a few skits, including the intro, from the classic film New Jack City, which obviously goes with the mixtapes title and theme. I thought she used them well and placed them all at perfect moments on the tape. "Take Care Of Me Baby" was probably my favorite of the tape if I had to pick. A dope heavy bassed beat that could bump in the whip. Plus a dope verse from Pusha T who was definitely the best feature on this mixtape. The two singles "Numb" which features Rick Ross and "Paradise" which features Wiz Khalifa were both pretty cool. Two more "bump-in-the-whip" type songs and neither feature didn't over do it (thank God on Wiz's part). "Turn Up" is not only a whip song but I could definitely see the clubs loving this one despite that it's a short song. It's everyones favorite saying now in hip hop and is produced by Young Chop, the man responsible for majority of Chief Keef's hits. Meek Mill's verse wasn't that bad either. "Sound Of Love" features Jeremih and is the only song on here that sounds like legit R&B. It doesn't sound like the rest of the tape at all. It's a okay song. I think females would like it more. Now on to the cons. There were two songs on here where she tries to flex her rap skills, or lack there of. "Rocka Bye Baby" was the first. Honestly the overall sound wasn't THAT bad but this will surely has to grow on me. Still something is missing from it that I can't put my finger on. The other is "Bad Bitches". Personally I'm not a fan of the term "bad bitch" and on this not only does she deliver a poor rap effort but does it in an aggressive way. However the chant on the hook I could so see females who claim to be that chanting along with it in the club. In short, she's a better singer than a rapper. She actually sounds a bit like Lola Monroe rapping but with a little less talent. "I Know What You Want" is the track she samples Kendrick Lamar's beat. I love that beat even when I heard it on Kendrick's album but it doesn't sound right meshed with R&B vocals. Really it sounds like a DJ just blending vocals from one song to the beat of another. Speaking of, her other beat jacking victim like I mentioned was Tyga on the track "Do My Dance". Same beat and title. What's weird about it is considering the content of the original song, the male in me was hoping she would get all sexually explicit too but she really didn't. She was clean on here. Needless to say I was disappointed. However, Too $hort to no surprise stuck to the content. I wasn't really feeling "I Love It" at all either. Mostly because Fabolous delivered one of his worst guest verses ever. I hated his flow on here. He sounded too much like A$AP Rocky. That bothered me a lot. Overall like I stated before, this mixtape is just decent. I could definitely see females liking it because majority of these songs they would relate to. Males I don't know. Might have to grow on y'all like it has to with me. However I do believe that this sound fits her and that she should stay in this lane. She's not really a R&B singer but more of what I like to call a "hip hop songstress". I give it a final grade of a C. I know most men, including myself, only like Cassie because of her gorgeous looks and not her music. Also others believe she's better at other things like modeling and acting. Let's not forget music is the reason she has some level of fame in the first place. That's where it began for her. Let's just hope when she drops the album later this year that's it's a few steps above this. End.

Final Grade: C

Joe Budden - No Love Lost ALBUM REVIEW

(NOTE: Yes, this album released a little over a  month ago and I'm very late posting this review. I had the review written already then but never got to post it anywhere. So here it is.)

Joe Budden has certainly come a long way from his "Pump It Up" days in 2003. Many of his days and/or years in between was spent on the underground scene dropping numerous mixtapes and a one album. Today he is now a member of the lyrical super group Slaughterhouse and has a deal with Eminem's Shady 2.0 label. This year makes ten years since he debuted in the game, it was only right, after all the mixtapes for him to come with a new studio album to celebrate his ten year anniversary (even though that's probably not what he's really doing). Here we have No Love Lost. His third album. It's hard to really compare this to his two previous albums cause for one they came out so far apart ("Joe Budden" in 2003 and Padded Room in 2009) and also he's changed a lot since. So I won't do that. A lot of that change he speaks of on this album. This album for me seemed very...well...moody. As in the mood keeps changing drastically as the album goes on. Now when I first looked at the track list I'll admit I got worried. I saw features like Wiz Khalifa, French Montana, Lil Wayne, Kirko Bangz, Juicy J etc. I was praying this would not sound like a desperate mainstream attempt like last year's Slaughterhouse album was. Turns out it wasn't that bad. But here's what I meant by moody. The first 3 tracks, "Top Of The World", the single "She Don't Put It Down" and "NBA" are all radio friendly. I want to believe he put these songs first just to get them out the way to get to the good shit. Right after these tracks things start to get serious. "You And I" sounds like somewhat of a romantic message to some girl. I think it might be Tahiry but I don't know this nigga fucks around with a lot of females. After that is when starts reflecting on his life and mostly his career. "All In My Head", which was also featured on his mixtape Loose Quarter, and "Skeletons" talk about it the most. Two of my favorite songs on the album. On "All In My Head" both Joe and Royce Da 5'9" make mentions of "skeletons in the closet" which then leads to the great transition from that song to the song "Skeletons" with no break in between. Then the next part of the album he starts switching gears towards the ladies. "Switch Positions" I actually do like. Especially the hilarious "Role Play" interlude right before it. I miss when rappers used to do those funny sex related skits. Then "Tell Him Somethin" is another slow jam where Joe is trying to tell the girl to tell her man why he's better and what he's doing for her etc. Don't really like that much because of that topic and the fact that its long as hell for no damn reason. Like seven minutes. A lot of the songs I disliked came towards then end like "Runaway" and "My Time". Probably the two most boring songs on the whole album. "Last Day" to some is a good bump-in-the-whip song because of the beat but ehh...didn't feel it that much. Lloyd Banks sounds weird rapping fast. I guess that one will have to grow on me. The overall production was a little weak for me. Could have been better and more energetic. Lyrics obviously were good. That's what he does best. Overall though, This album was decent at best. I think he has mixtapes better than this. If you a fan his you might be slightly disappointed with certain tracks on here but the rest you might like. If your not a fan, just download it, give it a listen and delete it if don't like it. I give it a final grade of a C. I like Joe Budden, but after hearing this, I think I'm more looking forward to his next mixtape than his next album. End.

Final Grade: C

Big K.R.I.T. - King Remembered In Time MIXTAPE REVIEW

Fact: Today, the south is hip hop's most dominate region and has been for at least the last decade. Some of hip hop's biggest names in mainstream all hail from below the Mason Dixon. But because southern rap today is mostly known for radio/party/club music, it's really hard to point out the top tier MC's of the south on a more lyrical level. Recently a lot of southern new comers have emerged and become apart of that tier. Example: Big K.R.I.T. Once I listened to his 2011 mixtape Return Of 4Eva, I was extremely impressed and was immediately hooked. That would be followed by his two 2012 releases in the mixtape 4Eva N A Day and his debut studio album Live From The Underground. Both of which I enjoyed. In short, K.R.I.T. has yet to disappoint me with a mixtape/album and it continues here with King Remembered In Time. I thoroughly enjoyed this mixtape. Just like on 4Eva N A Day he shows his creative originality and gives us another themed and/or concept project with the "king" and "royalty" theme. Which is presented on a couple of tracks. In the production department, K.R.I.T. once again doesn't disappoint as he continues with his soulful and jazz influenced production with a little bit of that southern trunk music flavor. Showing that he's just as talented of a producer as he is a MC. Since I have way more positives than negatives to say about this I'll start there. I had so many favorite songs on this tape that it's hard for me to like one more than the others. I absolutely loved the bass in "Talkin' Bout Nothing". He spit some fast dope lyrics over deep and heavy vibrating bass. Prefect trunk music. Speaking of, "My Trunk" is another bass bumper that many would love to blast in the car. Even though Trinidad James verse was weak it wasn't enough to ruin the song. "King Without A Crown" is one of those that I mentioned that sticks to the theme. Another favorite of mine. "Shine On" with Bun B and "How U Love That" were two more dope trunk bangers. But I'ma step away from the trunk bangers and get to the songs with meaning. "WTF" totally caught me off guard. Looking at the title I thought this song would be about something completely left field from what K.R.I.T. normally raps about, but on here he raps about the life struggle in Mississippi and flows in a poetic style. Like those poets that do stage poetry. Done over a cool, relaxed, violin filled bass-less beat (until the hook). The song features a decent collabo from BJ The Chicago Kid. Great song. "Banana Clip Theory" he speaks on why he feels it's necessary for him to posses a weapon. This may be in response to the whole gun control situation that the country is going through right now. Either way it was great. "Life Is A Gamble" is pretty much self explanatory looking at the title. The ups and downs and dangers you'll come across in life. The last two tracks "Bigger Picture" and "Multi Til The Sun Die" are other examples of these meaningful songs that K.R.I.T. knows how to make so well. An area of weakness for most southern rappers. I only have a few negatives about the tape. "Good 2Getha" I wasn't feeling like that. If there's one weakness K.R.I.T. has is songs for the women, which really isn't bad because plenty of rappers have this problem. There's an interlude or a snippet on here called "Just Last Week" which features Future that left me scratching my head. It sounded good by why just a snippet? I didn't like that. Even Future was tolerable on this. Maybe the full song will be on one of his future projects. I hope. "Only One" features Wiz Khalifa and Smoke DZA and this is one I'm on the fence about. After my first listen I thought it was okay then after a second time I lost interest. I don't really know what it is but I guess it will have to grow on me. Well in conclusion, this was yet again another dope project from Big K.R.I.T. I give it a final grade of a B. In my opinion. Big K.R.I.T. embodies and defines everything that southern hip hop is, or should be. As long as he continues to release great mixtapes/albums like this then I can't ever see myself getting off the band wagon. He'll only get better as the years go on. Hopefully, this could be the turning point for a new sound in the south. I'll cross my fingers. End.

Final Grade: B

Tyga - Hotel California ALBUM REVIEW

I must say Tyga has certainly come a long way to where he is now. It seems like just yesterday he dropped his 2008 debut No Introduction which had that god awful single "Coconut Juice". If someone then was to tell me he'd be where is now I'd probably laugh. Well...a Young Money deal and a "Rack City" hit record later, Tyga is one of mainstream lands most popular rising artists. While I myself am not a fan of his music, I can see why a lot of people may like him and his music. Well here he is with his third album Hotel California. Coming off of his sophomore 2012 release Careless World: Rise Of The Last King, which honestly wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, I said that this new album would be either a hit or a miss. To me, this was a slight miss. It's definitely a step back from his last album. This album sounded overly commercial and "clubby". Way more commercial than the last album. Production from a mainstream perspective was decent. Had it's ups and downs. Lyrics overall were pretty much basic. I think Tyga actually has some talent but his lyrical content is generic. Your typical money/jewelry/cars/women flaunting "swag rap" lyrics that a lot of these young radio rappers are on now. Plus I never really liked his voice. I just don't understand why he puts that extra strain on his voice. Is he trying to sound hard or intimidating? I would hope not. Anyway, I have more cons than pros with this album so I'll start there. The first single "Dope" really grinded my gears. You don't sample a classic hip hop instrumental like Dr. Dre's "Deep Cover" and turn it into some swaggy club music. That's a sin. I'm sure Snoop Dogg doesn't care because he's probably cool with Tyga but somewhere Dr. Dre wants to choke him with a Beats headphone cord for doing that to his masterpiece. "Show You" was hands down the worst song on the album. For someone who gets a lot of attention from the ladies he sure doesn't know how to make songs for them. Not to mention this is yet another song with a terrible hook by Future. He's starting to annoy me more and more with every song. He tries to deliver a 2Pac like flow on "For The Road" and fails terribly. Chris Brown's average ass hook didn't make it any better. "Enemies" was just too easy to call. You can blatantly tell Lil Wayne wrote this whole song. He even sounds like Wayne. To the point where I had to check the album credits to see if he was on this song. Bad song either way. One song that I'm on the fence about is the song dedicated to hip hop's newest ecstasy nickname..."Molly". Here he borrows the voice of the popular iPhone app Siri in which it repeatedly says "molly" over and over again. Anyone that knows me knows I hate repetitive hooks like this. I can see a lot of people loving this, especially in the club, but this will probably have to grow on me. Plus Wiz Khalifa delivered one of the worst lines I've ever heard from him that went like "I got a whip so fast that I caught a ticket speeding". Really? I didn't know you could get ticketed for that Wiz. Speaking of him, he's on another song called "M.O.E." which I thought would stand for Money Over Everything but apparently it's MUSIC Over Everything. Go figure. It seemed more like Wiz's style of music than Tyga's but again this is one that might have to grow on me because right now I don't like it. "Drive Fast, Live Young" and "Palm Trees" were both snooze fests. He couldn't have picked two more boring songs to end the album with. Now for the few things I did like. "Hijack" was pretty cool. Good beat and good guest verse from 2 Chainz. Is it me or is 2 Chainz starting to get better? His guest verses lately have been pretty good. Anyway, "Diss Song" surprised me because I thought he would be actually dissing or taking a shots at somebody. Turns out he's just dissing past enemies from what it sounds like. Still the song was ok. "It Never Rains" was cool laid back song with a summer time feel to it. Probably my favorite of the whole album. I like the beat, the Tony Toni Tone sample and The Game's verse was cool. It sounded like a summer radio hit from the 90's (back when it was cool to use auto-tune). Made me reminisce a little bit. "Hit'em Up" I probably would have hated had it not been for Jadakiss saving it from disaster. The fact that he basically stole C-Murder's entire hook from "Down For My Niggas" made me salty but I could probably listen to it again because of the beat and Jada's verse. Overall, This album was way more commercial and club oriented than the last one, but I liked the last album better than this and I feel like this was a step back from that album. I give it a final grade of a C-. Like I mentioned before, I think Tyga actually has talent, but his lyrical content and topics are so basic and generic. He doesn't rap about anything special which makes me not like his music. Tyga/Young Money fans will probably enjoy this but if you're not a fan, I doubt you will. Tyga needs to get more creative with his music before I can really start listening to it. While he's at it, get better at making songs for the girls because right now, Black Chyna is not impressed. End.

Final Grade: C-

Papoose - The Nacirema Dream ALBUM REVIEW

To say that it's been a long time coming for Papoose would be quite the understatement. For nearly a decade, Papoose has been a fan favorite for many underground east coast rap fans. With countless mixtapes, memorable guest verses and a laundry list of other songs, it's very easy to see that this debut album of his has been eagerly anticipated by fans. Well now the wait is over. I know for some, including me, it seems so strange that Papoose has been in the game for so long and he's just releasing his major label debut in 2013. But after listening I can honestly say the wait may have been worth it. I thoroughly enjoyed the majority of this album. The overall sound made me reminisce back to the late 90's/early 2000's New York sound. The production was solid for the most part. Your typical hard, grimey, head nodding east coast style beats.  Lyrics were obviously dope as Papoose is one of NY's dopest lyricists. Here's some notable tracks for me. First of all, it wasn't until I listened to the intro of this album that I realized Nacirema is actually American spelled backwards. In that intro he explains why he titled the album that way. That totally went over my head. By far the track that stood out to me the most was "Cure". Here he plays the role of both cancer and AIDS and breaks down how both can harm and potentially kill you. It's basically a cancer/AIDS awareness song. Very creatively done. Speaking of creativity, another favorite was the last track "Alphabetical Slaughter Pt. II". The follow up to the first one that was released in 2005. One of the most lyrically creative hip hop songs of all time in my opinion.  For those that never heard the first, this is where he takes every letter in the alphabet and every time DJ Kay Slay, who provides the ad-libs, yells out a letter Papoose rhymes with every word beginning with that letter. This time on part 2, he does it backwards from Z to A. Not only that, the beat is reversed so it sound like it's being played backwards. Extremely dope. "Turn It Up" was another favorite simply because DJ Premier is one of my favorite producers ever and this was another dope beat done by him. He calls upon Jadakiss and Jim Jones for "6 AM" which samples the opening line from the classic Ice-T song. Cool sample and song. Speaking of samples, Lloyd Bank's voice is borrowed for "Aim Shoot" which features Mobb Deep. This track is so dope and it just sounds like early 2000's New York. "Get At Me" caught me by surprise. I thought this was be a commercial attempt because Ron Browz is on it (remember him? "Pop Champagne", "Jumpin' Out The Window" etc.) but it wasn't. It was actually not that bad. "Motion Picture", "Nacirema Dream" and "Faith" were other favorites as well. There were a couple flaws to me however. The two singles I really wasn't feeling at all. The first one was "On Top Of My Game" which features Mavado. This was the only song on the album that sounds like what hip hop sounds like right now. The generic bass bumping repetitive drum beat. For any other rapper or album I would be find with this song but it didn't mesh with the sound of the rest of this album. The second single "What's My Name" features Remy Ma, who of course he has a history with, and is probably the most awkwardly sounding song on here. The song samples the timeless 1974 classic "For The Love Of Money" by The O'Jays and samples it poorly. The entire beat is the same as the old song. The flirty lyrics from both Papoose and Remy (I'm assuming towards each other) just seem so awkward. Like a weird romance type thing. This sample could have worked but it doesn't here. On "Pimpin' Won't Die" I kinda see where he was going with it speaking about troubled young black women. I like the topic but the song itself just had a poor sound. The hook is bad and the beat sounds too "happy" for a song speaking on such  a serious topic. That could have been done better. Well, overall I was very pleased with this album. Great lyrics, good production, good collaborations and more. I give it a final grade of a B. If you're a fan of hip hop's new sound, which is all about beats and hooks than you won't like this. This album is for those fans of lyrical rappers on hard east coast styles beats. You all will love it. A lot of folks wouldn't have thought Papoose could put together a solid debut after such a long wait. I knew he had this in him. Just don't keep us waiting next time Pap. End.

Final Grade: B

Tyler, The Creator - Wolf ALBUM REVIEW

In the history of hip hop, there hasn't been many rappers who made quite the controversial impact like Tyler, The Creator did in 2011. When viewer's took a look at his video for "Yonkers" and gazed upon the bizarre and sick imagery mixed with his graphically obscene and disturbing lyrics, it made everyone turn heads. It was even enough for him to win the best new artist award at the MTV VMA's. Since then, he and his group Odd Future have gained quite a large fan base. Which only meant an eager anticipation for this. His third album Wolf. Going into this I wondered where Tyler would go with this. Though I never got to hear his first album Bastard, I did listen to his second album Goblin which I did enjoy. So I figured Wolf would be either the same or a bit watered down. Thankfully, it wasn't that. What it was was a more emotional side of Tyler. A side I personally never seen from him. It's displayed on a lot of the songs on here. But I'll get back to that. Production for the most part was your typical Odd Future style production. Those weird, eerie and distorted sounding beats. Although there are a few that have somewhat of a commercial attempt. I for the most part thought the album was good. Not great but good. The positives and negatives are pretty much even. I'll start with the positives. I mentioned the emotion that Tyler displays on a lot of songs on here, one of those songs which is one of my favorites on here is "Answer". This is where he again speaks on the pain of not having his father in his life and being a "bastard". There was so much emotion in this song to the point where I feel like if it came down to it, Tyler would trade all this rap shit in just to have a father in his life. "Colossus" showed his emotion towards nagging and obsessed fans and speaking from their point of view. Kind of like Eminem's "Stan" but darker. Cool song. The emotional roller coaster continues with "Awkward" which to me sounds like a continuation of "She" from his last album. Expressing his feelings for that same chick. By far my favorite track on here was "Rusty". Excellent beat. Domo Genesis had one of the dopest verses I've ever heard from him. I was a little disappointed Earl Sweatshirt didn't have a longer verse but he was good for the time he was on it.  They both may have out did Tyler on his own shit. "Trashwang" is another one of those wild and rambunctious tracks where he, Taco and Jasper Dolphin are just yelling the most rude and ignorant shit imaginable on a trap-style beat. Just like "Bitch Suck Dick" on Goblin and "We Got Bitches" on The OF Tape Vol. 2. Most people would hate this song but it's fun to me. Well...now the negatives. There were songs on this album that felt like they just did not belong at all and were made just to be made. Case and point: "PartyIsntOver/Campfire/Bimmer". I have no idea what Tyler was trying to do here but it failed. Here he merges three songs into one track and none of them are really that good. Especially the second portion of it where it sounds like more instrumental then vocals. This was nothing more than a album filler. "Tamale" just sounded extremely weird and awkward which is saying something when talking about Tyler, The Creator. I mentioned a few beats that sounded a bit commercial for Tyler's taste and "48" is that. I want to believe Pharrell had a hand in producing this along with the ad-libing which is why it sound like it does. On "Treehome95" he links up with Erykah Badu for a very laid back and calm track. This has to grow on me. It overall sounds like Sunday afternoon jazz. The fact that Tyler didn't rap on it is what probably drew me away from it. Well...overall, I did like it but coming off of Goblin I kinda did expect more from this. Tyler/Odd Future fans may still like this regardless but the album in a lot of areas will have to grow on me. I give it a strong C+. No matter what though, Tyler, The Creator will still have a huge following of fans and praise form hip hop peers. As long as he stays true to who he is, he can't do no wrong. Well...that is if he can learn to control Wolf Haley, Goblin, Sam and all those other personalities of his. End.

Final Grade: C+

2013 XXL Freshmen REVIEW

Well here it is. The 6th annual freshmen edition of XXL magazine. One of the most anticipated things in hip hop every year. It's so crazy how popular this list has gotten amongst both fans and the artists. The XXL freshman list since 2008 has done a lot for artists. For some it help their name get out there thus giving them a little more notariety and/or popularity. But for some, it...might not be such a good look, which is why a few rappers have turned it down in the past. Still there's no denying the lists popularity and hype every year. Last years class which consisted of Kid Ink, Machine Gun Kelly, French Montana, Don Trip, Future, Iggy Azalea, Danny Brown, Hopsin, Macklemore and Roscoe Dash got plenty of mixed reactions. But this years class seems much more interesting. Here's my break down of each freshman of the 2013 class:

Ab-Soul

- Carson, CA

Hands down my favorite MC of this year's class. To some people, including myself, Ab-Soul was pretty much guaranteed a spot on this list after gaining some notariety last year due to his ties with Black Hippy. I first took notice of him as a guest feature on Kendrick Lamar's 2011 mixtape Section.80. Then went on to listening to his solo project Longterm Mentality which dropped that same year. But I wanted something more. So then he comes with his 2012 album Control System which got plenty of great praise. Probably in my top 5 favorite albums from last year. His intelligent word play and  his dark toned story telling of life in LA makes him a stand out. Not traits you normally see from a typical west coast rapper. He deserves a spot on the list and I can't wait to see what he does in 2013.

Action Bronson

- Queens, NY

Another MC I was very happy to see make the cut. Reppin' Queens, New York, and armed with a throwback and somewhat Ghostface Killah-like flow and sound, it's so easy to see why he stands out and why he made the list. I was put on to him through a friend and ended up getting his sophomore album Well-Done in 2011. Which featured excellent production from Statik Selektah. Most recently I downloaded his latest mixtape Rare Chandeliers which released in November of last year. His clever, funny and witty lyrics made me a instant fan. With upcoming releases like his next mixtape Blue Chips 2 and his third album Mr. Wonderful, 2013 should be very intersting for "Bronsolini".

Angel Haze

- Detroit, MI

She's only the second female rapper ever to make the freshman list (the first was Iggy Azalea last year). The 21 year old Detroit femcee is armed with a aggresive, fiery and raspy-voiced flow. Something you would expect from your typical D-Town battle rapper. Though last year she dropped 3 mixtapes, most recently Classick back in October, I have yet to hear a full project from her. I've only heard verses and guest features. Like on the Dizzy Wright track "Can't Trust 'Em (remix)". But myself and most people took real notice of her when she participated in the 2012 BET Hip Hop Awards Cypher. She spit a dope verse there. Hopefully she makes major moves this year because I'm slowly becoming a fan.

Chief Keef

- Chicago, IL

Voted by the fans as the 11th freshman and/or "bonus" freshman, he is probably the most controversial new artist not only in this freshman class but in hip hop period. His violent gang life image, wild and rambunctious music, recent arrests and his overall "I-don't-give-a-fuck" attitude have many people in a uproar about his belonging in hip hop. But then again, these are typical actions you would expect from a 17 year old kid born and raised on the crime infested streets of Chicago. Last year his name became big once he called upon Kanye West (who gives him major co-sign), Jadakiss, Pusha T and Big Sean for the remix to his hype track "I Don't Like". It was featured on his March 2012 mixtape Back From The Dead. In December he dropped his debut album Finally Rich which featured that song as well as his much bigger hit "Love Sosa". Me personally, I'm not a fan. Nor did I enjoy his album. But his fan base is quickly rising. Thus the reason he was voted on this list by fans. Hopefully he can stay out of prison the rest of this year.

Dizzy Wright

- Las Vegas, NV

"Tell XXL I want the motherfuckin' cover". That's what the 22 year old Las Vegas MC yelled out on his 2012 mixtape Smoke Out Conversations. Well...ask and you shall receive. As a member of the up and coming rap group Funk Volume (which also consists of Hopsin, SwizZz, Jarren Benton and DJ Hoppa), he's a new artist that I personally have been keeping a sharp eye on since early 2012. In fact, it may be because of his affiliation with Hopsin, who's now gotten popular, that Dizzy is now getting a little notariety and popularity. He's very talented. With an arsenal of different flows and sounds. I think he may be the one member of Funk Volume that I could see making it mainstream because of his sound. Let's see how that will go in 2013.

Joey Bada$$

- Brooklyn, NY

Probably the most intriguing artist to me of this year's class. Last year after I heard his mixtape 1999, I was blown away. Joey is bringing a style of rap to the table we haven't seen in a long time. His lyrics, flow, production and overall sound is identical to the classic 90's New York sound. The boom-bap era of rap. Hence the title of his mixtape. You don't see too many 17 year old rappers with this kind of a sound if not at all. It's why for the most part he has gained tons of recognition. He and his group Pro Era deliver cool and relaxed throwback lyrics that takes you back. Well takes me back anyway. I'm sure Joey is poised for big things in 2013.

Kirko Bangz

- Houston, TX

Honestly, I've never heard any projects from him. Not a mixtape, album nothing. But the Houston native had by far one of the biggest if not THE biggest club record of 2012 in "Drank In My Cup". That lone song is what gained him notariety and more than likely it's what landed him on this years freshman list. The song was featured on his 2012 mixtape Progression 2: A Young Texas Playa. At first listen I got confused as to who he is. Is he a rapper? A singer? A rapping singer? A singing rapper? I still don't know. But whatever case he's becoming very popular. I think he has to grow on me some more. Hopefully he drops a bigger project this year.

Logic

- Gaithersburg, MD

Again, another one who I never heard an album or a mixtape from. Just a couple verses here and there. But based off of what people have said about him and from what I have heard, he's very talented. Plus he's representin' my home state of Maryland so he gets cool points for that. It was his two mixtapes in 2011's Young Sinatra and 2012's Young Sinatra: Undenieable that gained him all this praise from lyrical hip hop heads. In fact, some of his co-signer's are raging that he's JUST making the freshman list after being a finalist for it since 2010. Well...he's here now and let's hope that's this pushes his name out there even more. He's scheduled to drop his fourth mixtape Young Sinatra: Welcome To Forever this year. Let's hope this year is good to him.

ScHoolboy Q

Los Angeles, CA

After I listened to his second independent album Habits & Contradictions, I was immediately hooked. Like Ab-Soul, he too is a member of the west coast clique Black Hippy. Althought I didn't get to hear his debut independent album Setbacks, the second one was enough to tell me everything about him. With a very gritty voice, he speaks of mostly addictions that plague him. Drugs, sex, money etc. But talks of it in a more grimey and "haunting" like tone and attitude. The album was enough for people to take notice of Q and land him on this list. This year he's scheduled to drop his major label debut Oxymoron which is on my most anticipated list. 2013 is shaping up to be good for the Schoolboy.

Travi$ Scott

- Houston, TX

Out of every freshman in this year's class, I know absolutely nothing about Travi$ Scott. Never heard a mixtape, an album, a song, not even a verse. In fact, this is my first time even hearing about him. So I really don't have much to say on him. Hopefully him being on this list will gain him some more notoriety and open me up to looking up some of his music. 

Trinidad Jame$

Atlanta, GA

Well....I gotta admit, I saw this one coming. It really shouldn't be a surprise to no one else either that he made the freshman list. When I was told that James had only been rapping for ten months (which basically means he started this time last year), I was in disbelief. It's quite a head scratcher as to how he got signed so quickly. But with aruguably one of the biggest records on the radio right now in "All Gold Everything", it makes sense why XXL took notice. The video in which he shows his outlandish character, bizarre taste in fashion, and well...not so lyrical lyrics also made folks turn heads to say "who the hell is this". Which probably was followed by lots of laughter. Still nonetheless, that and his debut independent album Don't Be S.A.F.E. was enough to land him a spot with this class. 2013 should indeed be huge for Trinidad James. Don't believe me...just watch.

Overall, I would grade this class with a B-. Good luck to all of them in 2013.