Yo Gotti - I Am ALBUM REVIEW

For quite some time now, the underground scene in the south has quietly been very popular. Nowadays in this new trap rap era, it's become even bigger seeing as how many of those southern underground MC's prefer that sound. With the trap beats and all. While there are many, majority of them haven't been around quite as long as Memphis rapper Yo Gotti has. Debuting independently on the underground scene in 2000, it took four independent albums and a number of mixtapes for him to get to where he is now. One of the south's top trap rappers. Here he is with his sophomore album I Am. The follow up to his 2012 debut Live From The Kitchen. This is m first time hearing a whole project from Gotti. Album or mixtape. But based off radio songs, features and his style of music, I honestly didn't expect this album to be anything too great. To my expectations, it wasn't. The album was just average. However, it was still better than what I had originally anticipated. As I stated before, other than radio singles and features, this is my first time hearing music from Yo Gotti. I always looked at him as a typical southern trap rapper who can only talk about money, drugs and all other related hood shit. Now I still think he is that, even after listening to this. But there was a handful of songs on this album where he steps out of that trap/hood zone and delivers more meaningful and even uplifting topics. This certainly surprised me as I again, expected an album with nothing but trap beats and repetitive hooks. It seemed like the first half of this album was all the meaningful songs that I didn't expect and the second half of it were songs that I expected to hear. Don't know if this was intentional or not but it didn't help it much concept wise. Anyway, I don't have any favorite songs but here are some notable ones for me. "Respect That You Earn" is a very interesting song where Gotti basically talks about how women need to act a certain way and respect themselves if they want us men to respect them. Something I totally agree with. You get the respect that you earn as the title says. Getting Wale on this track was a good move seeing as how this is normally the type of song he would make. His guest verse was cool and so was Ne-Yo's hook. Cool song. I can't even front, a part of me actually likes the single "Act Right". It's not a song I would continuously play at home or in the car but when it's party time, I will definitely be jammin' to it. Now the second single "Cold Blood" is a lot more enjoyable. It's a soulful song with nice calm production that talks about the struggle, the pain, the horrors and the cold heart reality of the streets and life in general. I like the hook from Canei Finch, the sample that brought the soul into it and J. Cole's poetic guest verse. Not the type of song I would expect somebody like him to make a single considering all the trap beat assisted songs on here that sounds radio worthy. "Pride To The Side" was probably had the best production on the whole album. I first took notice of the Masterpiece "Love Is What You Make It" sample which was also used by Slim Thug on one of his old hits. A dope sample that made the song enjoyable. Now my not so notables. To me when a rapper names a track after athletes, in this case a basketball player, it automatically spells disaster. That was indeed the case with the track "LeBron James". Here's the hook: "I'm LeBron James you a fucking rookie/your broad want a ticket I'ma go and book it". Hilariously terrible. This is actually how I expected the entire album to sound. He was rapping about random b.s. not making sense and everything. Just  a terrible, terrible song. "F-U", despite it's funny and catchy hook, is another one that left me shaking my head. Repetitive hooks just irk my soul. The song has extremely short verses that don't talk about nothing but telling haters and such "fuck you". Then to make matters worse, Meek Mill gets on the track doing the most with his lame bars ("like a bitch when she twerkin/y'all niggas workin/clown ass niggas we should put you in the circus") and rapping over the hook as if we want to hear a longer verse of those lyrics. On "Die A Real Nigga" he gets his Future on with, you guessed it, auto-tune. I say time and time again there are some rappers who need to stay away from auto-tune because of how they sound normally. Yo Gotti is one of those rappers. I could go more in depth with this but the auto-tune just immediately made me hate it. "I Know" features an awful singing hook from Rich Homie Quan who also drops a rap verse just as bad. I wasn't feeling the half-assed beat either. "King Shit" has the potential to grow on me only because I liked T.I.'s verse on there. As of now though, this song doesn't sit well with me. Overall this album was only average. Which is thanks to a few songs with good topics otherwise this would have been one of the worst albums of the year. I give it a final grade of a C. It's obvious Yo Gotti loves the hood and the hood loves him back. He has tons of street smarts and understand what it takes to make it out of the struggle. I know at times I get frustrated with trap rappers because it's usually the same b.s. from them every time. But after finally listening to a full project from Yo Gotti, I now have a new level of respect for him. Even thought I didn't quite dig this album, I gotta admit, I'ma start checking for his future projects now. End.

Final Grade: C-

CREDITS

Executive Producers

Mario Mims

Benny Pough

Sha Money XL

Lead Artist

Mario Mims

Production

Marcello Valenzano

Andre Lyon

Marco Rodriguez-Diaz

Alexander Izquierdo

Jay King

Dequantes Lamar

Dale Warren

Anthony Norris

Carlton Mays, Jr.

David Versis

Jeremy McArthur

Jesse Wilson

Kenton Dunson

Paulo Rodriguez

Collaboration

Kendall Morgan

Dequantes Lamar

Robert Williams

Jermaine Cole

Dale Warren

Clifford Harris, Jr.

Shaffer Smith

Olubowale Akintimehin

Jay Jenkins

Keenon Jackson

Label

CMG/Epic Records

Eminem - The Marshall Mathers LP 2 ALBUM REVIEW

Is there really anything left to say about the hip hop enigma that is Marshall Bruce Mathers? I myself have ran out of things of praise to say about him. Since 1999, Eminem has been hip hop's most successful lyrical juggernaut. There aren't many MC's in history who are not only amazingly talented on the mic but have the commercial success to go along with it. Especially in today's hip hop. For someone who musical content is quite...different to say the least, he still managed to become one of music top artists. Everything from drug abuse, killing his baby mother, homophobic and/or gay bashing lyrics, graphic and disturbingly violent lyrics, taking shots at random pop stars and media figures and so on. But throughout it all, throughout all the controversy and protest that surrounded him for majority of his career, Eminem never changed anything and it's got him to where he is now. Among hip hop's elite. For this, you may ask yourself what else does he need to prove? The answer is nothing. But Eminem is a competitor and the battle rapper in him is taking notice that lyricism is starting to become relevant again. He still wants to show that he still has it and will never fall and that he can hang with these new young MC's. That's just one of the many things proven on this anticipated release. The Marshall Mathers LP 2. Album number seven. Now we all know Eminem has quite the impressive discography. My favorite of course being 2000's The Marshall Mathers LP. The prequel to this album. A hip hop classic. But some folks weren't all to thrilled by his last two albums. 2009's Relapse which was filled with a bunch of Em's usual comedic antics but done while under the influence, and 2010's Recovery which many saw as way too mellow and pop-ish sounding. Thought they weren't necessarily "bad" albums, it was enough to cause concern among fans. Which I believe all went away after the release of 2011's Hell: The Sequel. His album with Royce Da 5'9". Taking all of this into account, I thought this album was a major upgrade from those previous two albums. I thought this album was nothing short of terrific. Easily one of the best listens of 2013. However, I gotta admit, I had to listen to it more than once for me to like it. I was a little uneasy after the first listen. On this album, Eminem pretty much gives you a mixture of everything he has ever done as far as his lyrics, content, production style and just overall sound. It pretty much sounds like all his albums rolled into one. In a attempt at what I believe was him trying to reach to multiple different audiences. But the true highlight of this project is, obviously, his lyrics. In short, Em basically snapped. Big time. His word play, metaphors and punchlines on a lot of the tracks on here were so amazingly dope that I found myself rewinding multiple songs to hear certain lyrics again (I'll give you some of my favorite line at the bottom of this review). Again, this is obviously nothing new when it comes to Eminem. Lyricism is his number one weapon. It appears to me that he may have took notice to those fans concerned over Relapse and Recovery and it became a wake up call to him to show that there's no need to be concerned. He still has it even in his 40's. Well now on to all the things I loved about this album. The beginning track "Bad Guy" sets the tone perfectly. A near seven minute track that's basically the sequel to his 2001 classic hit "Stan". He raps a Stan's little brother Matthew who has come back to get revenge on Eminem and kill him. Blaming him for his brother's death for not replying back to his fan mail. It ends with Matthew killing himself as well just as Stan did. Not only was this a dope part two for that song but it also the perfect way to link The Marshall Mathers LP and The Marshall Mathers LP 2 together. Picking up where it left off. By now many of you have already heard "Rap God" and I really don't need to explain much why this song is over the top dope. No hook. Just straight mind bending lyricism as only Eminem can do. If any song on here that proves why Eminem is a king in this rap shit it's this one. "Rhyme Or Reason" is yet another lyrical massacre that had me pressing repeat continuously. He speaks about his anger towards his father a lot for not being there for him and his mom. I loved the Zombies sample too. There was one bar (as there were a few on this album) where he did kinda gets a little corny: "can't even find the page I was writing this rhyme on/oh, it's on the ram-page". Of course Em does that at times purposely just to be funny. "So Much Better" I didn't like at first listen but it grew on me the more I listened to it. Here he snaps on his girlfriend accusing of her of sleeping around with other men, mainly celebrities. I always do enjoy when Em makes songs like this regarding women he's in relationships with and how he just so verbally abusive to them. I know it's not but it's funny when Eminem does it. Cool song. "Love Game" features Kendrick Lamar, a much anticipated collaboration. This song really caught me by surprise by how far left it was. I thought this was just gonna be pure lyrical bar for bar spitting from the two. There was that...just with some comedic wittiness. Kendrick got on Em's level and spit with a style that we've never heard from him. It was kinda weird hearing Kendrick being funny and silly but it worked so well. Great song. "Berzerk" is another song many of you are already familiar with that grew on me after some time.  I just love that throwback beat that sounds like a blend of 80's hip hop and 80's rock. It's that beat that truly makes the song in my opinion. "Headlights" was a song that I totally did not expect to be on this album. After all the years we've heard Em lash out at his mother, this time around he realizes that it's his father who's the problem and not his mom. Apologizing to her basically in the song. It's apparent that Em has grown up now and realizes mistakes that he has made in the past and regrets doing it. "Evil Twin" was a dope concept about him and his twin who I'm assuming is Slim Shady. The whole spit personality thing is what's showing here. The song is cool but there was one line that made me cling to that song: "fuck top five bitch I'm top four/and that includes Biggie and Pac whore/and I got a evil twin so who you think third and fourth spot is for?" Brilliant. I love Skylar Grey's hook on "Asshole". I also like how Em is kinda mocking those that call him that and how he admits that he is. I love the country music influenced beat on "So Far...". Again his lyrics were superb and I even like how he reference some of his older lyrics like the "spitting on onion rings" line from "The Real Slim Shady". My issues with this album are nothing serious at all. There were two songs that we're ruined by bad hooks. The first was "Legacy". I really was not feeling this hook at all. Thank God Em's rapping saved it. The other was "Survival" which had this really dope clapping beat but the hook was not good at all. He really should have sang these hooks himself instead of getting pop singers again. But it continues. After some success with "Love The Way You Lie" in 2010, he brought Rihanna back again for "The Monster". Personally, I think this song killed the albums vibe big time. It's not necessarily bad but it was just to pop friendly and happy. I understand he needs at least one radio song on here but man I wish it wasn't done like this. Rihanna sounded better before then on this song. The only song that I can say I truly disliked was" Stronger Than I Was". I really don't understand what he was trying to do here but it totally didn't work. His singing was terrible and even the rapping at the end didn't make it any better. A major album buzz kill. Well overall, I enjoyed this entire album front to back. Eminem delivered time and shows that there is no stopping him. I give this a final grade of an A. As I stated in the beginning of this, Eminem has nothing else to prove to hip hop or anyone else. His legacy as a immortal hip hop legend has already been cemented. But in making this album he still shows you why he is considered by many as the world's most notorious lyrical assassin. One thing this album did show was his growth. From the out of control white boy from the Detroit trailer park, to the madman out to kill his baby mom, to the battle rapping machine that backed down from no beef, to the pill popping addict, to where he is now. A hip hop lyrical legend. Or in this case, a "rap god". End.

Final Grade: A

Some notable dope lyrics:

-"maybe that's why I'm so bananas/I a-ppealed to all those walks"

-"cause a woman broke my he-art/I say he-art cause she ripped in into two pa-arts"

"too busy getting stoned in your glass house to kick rocks"

-"I'm swinging at these chicks on sight/long as I got a bat and two balls it's foul but my dick's on strike"

-"you fags think it's all game til I walk-a-flock of flames"

-"I might be about to busta, bust her, the thought is scary yo, though and it hurts--brace/hope it 'here we go yo' cause my head already goes to worst case scenario, thpugh in the first place/but you confirmed my low end theory though..."

-"fuck top five bitch I'm top four/and that includes Biggie and Pac whore/and I got a evil twin so who you think third and fourth spot is for?"

-"you done called every woman a slut but you're forgetting Sarah, Marshall"

CREDITS

Executive Producer

Andre Young

Rick Rubin

Lead Artist

Marshall Mathers, III

Production

Marshall Mathers III

Larry Griffin, Jr.

Mark Landon

Nicholas Warwar

Rick Rubin

Luis Resto

Emile Haynie

Alexander Grant

Bigram Zayas

Bryan Fryzel

Jeff Bhasker

Tavish Graham

Joey Chavez

Carl McCormick

Collaboration

Sarah Jaffe

Holly Hafermann

Liz Rodrigues

Polina Goudieva

Robyn Fenty

Kendrick Duckworth

Nathaniel Reuss

Jamie Commons

Sia Furler

Label

Shady/Aftermath/Interscope Records

Young Dro - High Times ALBUM REVIEW

Normally when most rappers go on a long hiatus after just making their debut, you tend to not hear from them after that. Which leads to people calling them a one time wonder or just a "flash in the pan". I honestly thought this was the case for Young Dro. Debuting in 2006 under the wing of T.I., dropping his debut album Best Thang Smokin' which featured one of the biggest hits that year in "Shoulder Lean", I thought that would be it for Dro after not hearing from him since. Well seven years later, to my surprise and everyone else, Dro is back at it. He's back with his sophomore album High Times. I did listen to his first album and it wasn't all that to me. It wasn't terrible but just something that wasn't for me. Too much cornball lyrics, lack luster productions and happy sing-a-long hooks. So I kinda expected the same with this new album. Looks like I was right. I feel the same way about this that I did about his last album. Not terrible, but just not all that to me at all. Nothing about Dro has really changed. Which is crazy because you would think after such a long time away something would change but nope. Nothing. I'd say the only difference I see is a bit more aggressiveness in his voice but that's about it. His content surely hasn't changed. Still rapping mostly about his money and riches (what I like to call flaunt rap) and of course, smoking. Production is still a bit bland with the exception of a few tracks that I will mention. There are songs on here that are catchy and could become hits but a lot of it just isn't for me. I'll now start with what I did like. The album started off very aggressively as I mentioned before. It started with the first track "Odds". On here Dro was rapping very aggressively with a bit of raspy to his voice. Almost sounding Ja Rule like. He called out enemies, made threats and all of that extra tough guy talk. Didn't really expect him to start the album out in this manner. It was surprising. "Strong" has decent production. DJ Mustard is a pretty good mainstream producer and it shows here. Should be a club favorite. I thought the track "Bad Bitch" had a okay trap beat. Didn't over do it like most due. But this song was only listenable because of T.I. and Problem's guest verses. I really didn't even like Young Dro at all on this. Another song that was saved by T.I. was "Nope". Now this song had two glaring mistakes: repetitive hook and a dead production. But T.I. made it just barely listenable. I swear this album could have used more of T.I. on a lot of tracks. "Homeboyz" is normally the type of song I hate. Dro is barely tolerable when he's rapping so to hear him sing this hook, on auto tune at that, left me upset. But somehow after a few listens it grew on me and became kinda catchy. The beat kinda sounded like a re-made version of Joe Budden's hit "She Don't Put It Down" from earlier this year. I actually liked it. I have more negatives with this album so here they are. First off, lyrically Dro falls short a lot. The combination of his Atlanta slang, accent, deep voice and mumbled or slurred words about nothing just makes it impossible to make out what he's saying at times. It again, doesn't help him lyrically either (which laughably plays right into the irony of the magazine headline on his album cover). "Hammer Time" is the first example of this. No song on the album was filled with more corny lines and terrible delivery. "Check the alphabet nigga I'm the last G", "If a nigga think he better than me I forgive him", "five thousand dollar Yorkie named Poochie/I don't want your bitch I want coochie". Lines so bad that they were funny. Not to mention I had to play this song almost five times to make out every mumbled lyric he said. Now "Power Up" featured his worst flow on the album. Is that now popular fast aced jumpy flow that I have now dubbed as the "Versace" flow. Made popular of course by Migos and Drake. Wasn't feeling this track in the least bit. The single "FDB" I tried to give a chance but nope. This was bad too. This song oozed corniness too. "Bitch you ugly bitch you ugly both of y'all hoes look scary". That line alone did it for me. I can't really put my finger on the issue I have with "I'm Cold". The beat isn't that bad and it's rather catchy. Could it be his dreadful R&B attempt again? I don't really know but I feel like this may grow on me. He tries to drop a deep and meaningful song on "Free Fall" which isn't bad. The problem is like many others, Dro is just the type of rapper that's hard to take serious when trying to be deep and meaningful. Couldn't even relate to it like I was supposed to. Well overall, this album really didn't do much for me. With the exception of a few tracks, nothing has changed in Young Dro's music and still nothing moves me. I give it a final grade of a C-. I find it quite upsetting that Young Dro didn't change anything after being away for seven years. Not saying he has to change. It's okay to be yourself but at least do some experimenting with new sounds, new producers, new collaborators etc. Despite it all though, he's a hit maker and that's enough to keep him relevant even if he took another seven years off.Oh and yeah being buddies with T.I. helps too. End.

Final Grade: C-

CREDITS

Executive Producers

D'Juan Hart

Clifford Harris, Jr.

Lead Artist

D'Juan Hart

Production

Childish Major

Candice Mims

Cordale Quinn

Dijon McFarlane

Lamar Edwards

Kevin Briggs

Clifford Harris, Jr.

Collaboration

Clifford Harris, Jr.

Jason Martin

Natasha Mosley

Glenn Thomas

Miloh Smith

Label

Grand Hustle/eOne/Atlantic Records