Meyhem Lauren and DJ Muggs Continue Their Streak with "Northern Blvd" Video
"I told'em, 'that's old shit', they busy staring at my neck, looking at gold shit."
In 2017, DJ Muggs and Meyhem Lauren connected for the LP, Gems From The Equinox. I remember reading interviews with Muggs at the time, and he called Meyhem one of his favorite rappers and collaborators. That's tough talk from a legend like DJ Muggs, who has worked with some heavy hitters and produced 2 classic LP's in Cypress Hill's first and second albums (yes, those are classics and Muggs invented a new sound on those joints). Putting his money and time where his mouth is, Muggs connected with Meyhem again for a re-up, Frozen Angels, an EP that released last week. Today they gifted us the video for "Northern Blvd", which put visuals to a tale of riding dirty and getting pulled over. The song is psychological, displaying the mental stresses and requirements after getting pulled over. Meyhem is joined on the record and in the video by Hologram, who ends his verse with "I'm trying to tell the shorties that crime don't pay."
Lots of quotables here in only two minutes. Peep the video, then go check out the EP.
https://youtu.be/l3RW2hVR5Uk
Ajani Jones Takes Another Step Forward with "Bloom" Video
"Spitting at these open mics, I was killing."
Ajani Jones is special. I'm not even going to front like I am not invested in his career, like I didn't discover his music through my AEMMP Hip Hop Class, like I didn't connect with Ajani on a personal level, and like I didn't sign him to Closed Sessions. We're not idiots, and the handful millions of you reading this are not stupid. So that's out of the way...
Last night, as the music industry was in Wyoming or watching the playoffs, Ajani Jones released his new video for "Bloom", a beautiful track off his recently released EP, Cocoons. As Ajani says in the second verse, "I spit it for the people that's on EBT". That message is at the heart of "Bloom", a track that is about keeping your head up, and waiting for the time when everything pays off. Ajani is certainly ready for that time, and Strpmall did an excellent job of bringing this record to life visually, packing Ajani's theme of self-discovery into this video.
I'm out of words... Watch this clip below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAHGsP7FqQY
Kanye West's New LP Is Set In This Moment, And All The Moments Come Before It
"It was all part of the story, even the scary parts."
Last night, Kanye West flew a lot of people out to Wyoming and live streamed his new album, aptly titled, Ye. We already knew the LP would be seven songs (the God number), and that it was the second in a full line of new releases from the G.O.O.D. Music roster. There was a lot of skepticism heading into this album, much of it centered on if this album would truly appear on time. I think that Pusha-T's LP arrival last week set aside some of the doubts on the Kanye's album hitting properly on June 1st. But alas, following Mike Dean's promise of defecation everywhere, Kanye hit play, streamed his LP and now it is on streaming services everywhere.
Admittedly, I'm only on my second listen to the LP, probably too early to make a real judgment or in-depth review. One thing I know, The LP is set in the present and will stand as a capsule of what will be remembered as an odd and significant year for Kanye West. "I got dirt on my name, I got white on my beard, I had debt on my books, it's been a shaky ass year", he raps on "No Mistakes". Self-titled LPs are personal and exploratory by default. On Ye, Kanye embraces his impulsiveness and continues a theme brought up in his interview with Charlamagne The God that he feels his mental breakdown was in fact a "break through". He raps on "Wouldn't Leave", "I used the same attitude that done got us here, I live for now, I don't know what happened after here."
I think that's a good line to symbolize a lot of the album, and Kanye's career. He's built a huge fan base and influence off voicing his opinion. When that opinion matches his fans and what we think, he has tremendous success. When it goes against common ideas, he suffers huge setbacks and is abandoned. That is another theme running throughout the album as he talks about former friends, and others that have written him off - also something that can be found as early as College Dropout. It's clear that no matter how high Kanye ascends, he still sees himself as the underdog, still struggling to get out his ideas, "Thinking like George Jetson, but sounding like George Jefferson."
Through it all, Kanye is still game for it. "No Mistake" uses a Slick Rick sample to illustrate that point - "tell all my dogs that been down, we're back up again." I woke up and scanned through the Twitter Moments (I kind of just threw up in my mouth writing that), someone wrote that this LP sounds like much of his back catalog all fused together, and I can see that a little bit. "No Mistakes" and "Wouldn't Leave" sound a lot like "the old Kanye", that many fans yearn for. "Yikes" draws parallels to MBDTF a little bit and also enforces that theme that he accepts the good and the bad of himself and this journey, and I think this album is somewhat telling the public that they must accept all the parts as well. But to me, Ye is a new work meant to be evaluated in the now, in the time since Kanye "turned TMZ to Smack DVD". Much of the project is reflective, he speaks a bit on recent events, his growth on how he perceives and interacts with women, and his struggles with mental health that kick off the LP on "I Thought About Killing You".
I'd be remiss if I didn't mention how everything that's happened outside of the music influences how I started listening to this album. I still don't know what to make of the last few months and seeing Kanye in that MAGA hat. That shit hurt, for sure. But there's part of me that is still a fan of Kanye's music and wants this album to be excellent, and to really speak on things. There's a surface level commentary on recent events, but Kanye does not give us any "aha moment" or at least it not presented clearly and easily where all of his actions are now clear. Perhaps he is still working through that. Perhaps he wants us to work harder to understand. Perhaps it's just not coming. There's a lot to go through in only seven songs, and if you've been a Kanye fan since the early days like I have, this one will take multiple listens to process.
You can start that process below.
Sterling Hayes Delivers a Haunting New LP in SideFX
People want authenticity. I often ask my students, 'what don't you like about music?' One of the biggest responses is the lack of honesty they perceive from artists of all genres who pretend everything is always going well. It's a common theme, and a common criticism. In recent years though - and many younger people credit Kid Cudi in this regard - subjects such as depression, drug abuse, and just feeling shitty have taken a more prominent role in Hip Hop music. If you are searching for something raw, emotional, and honest (almost to a fault), then I highly suggest SideFX, the new album from SaveMoney's Sterling Hayes.
From the start, SideFX removes all barriers and at times is downright scary and hard to listen to. Hayes' delivery is gruff and even chill-invoking as he howls "Chicago is killing me" on the album's third track, "Suicide". A few themes run throughout SideFX, maybe none more prominent than Hayes' ownership of his own problems and his resolve to conquer them. He is worried about being a bad son, being a bad friend, doing too many drugs, not being able to stop doing too many drugs, being hurt by his girlfriend, the violence in Chicago, allowing blogs to dictate his self-worth and generally wasting away. His parents also play a prominent role on this record as he tackles their marriage, their divorce, and the realization that many young adults come to abruptly that one day they will die, and you can find yourself alone. In that regard, SideFX plays out somewhat like a manifesto for Hayes who commits to counting on himself, and at the end of the day making himself proud as a conduit to doing right by others.
This is a haunting and honest LP from a Chicago artist often overlooked alongside his "friends with Grammys". And while his friends such as Smoko Ono, Malcolm London, Via Rosa, and Chance The Rapper all make cameos, it is Hayes who maintains centerstage on this LP. With SideFX, Sterling Hayes clearly establishes how he is different from his peers and at the same time, like so many of his listeners going through similar situations. There is a light at the end of the tunnel for Hayes, and hopefully this album makes it a shine a little brighter.
https://soundcloud.com/sterlinghayes-1/sets/sidefx
Westside Gunn Shares "Evidence Joint" (prod. by Evidence)
Shortly after the drop of Weather or Not, Evidence shared photos of his studio sessions with Westside Gunn and Conway The Machine. Today, we have the fruit of that labor in the form of "Evidence Joint" a new track from W$G produced by Ev and all gemed out. W$G's got a new G-Shock in the Necklace, and he's got a new album dropping June 22nd. Peep the new track below.
https://soundcloud.com/gxfr/westside-gunn-evidence-joint-prod-by-evidence
SHIRT Shares His Thoughts On Ye With "It Be Your Own Drums"
"I don't care if you made the album in the Everglades, Or in partnership with Tesla, K, your shit wrestling now Smarten up."
Last week, Kanye lit up the twitter by sharing a fly on the wall style video of him in beat-making mode. The video drew attention for multiple reasons, beyond the music, the video showed a white board listing all the upcoming G.O.O.D. Music releases and helped make Kanye's promises of new music a bit more tangible.
SHIRT - in classic SHIRT fashion - ripped the audio from Kanye's video and made a song expressing his feelings on Kanye and the upcoming releases. The track isn't a diss or any kind of Kanye takedown, but comes off a heartfelt open letter or a conversation set to drums.
Check it below. SHIRT latest album, Pure Beauty, is out now on Third Man Records.
https://soundcloud.com/shirt/it-be-your-own-drums-produced-by-ye#t=0:00
Navarro Blends Worlds On Modern Mexican Art: Radio Sondido
"I done paid my dues and have some changed left."
Navarro, known well throughout Chicago's underground Hip Hop scene as Scheme, returned in April of 2018 with a new album centered fiercely on identity and story-telling. The LP, Modern Mexican Art: Radio Sondido, plays out like a documentary set in Chicago's Mexican neighborhood and narrated by the polished emcee.
The album is timely for many reasons. As Donald Trump and his administration continue to harm the immigrant community (and all communities of color), Navarro's perspective as a first generation American who fell in love with Hip Hop is welcomed and needed. Since his last proper LP, Navarro has changed his name, created a successful after school program and also has a growing daughter. Those kind of life changes will force anyone to really examine their life and decide what is most important. As an emcee with over a decade of experience, Navarro has had to clearly define his priorities as well as how he fits into the current climate of commercial music.
Duality is an inherent part of the immigrant experience, and Modern Mexican Art succeeds the most when that duality is at the forefront. The album's first track, "Sin Singre En Las Venas" is a perfect example of the recipe as Navarro raps in both Spanish and English over hard drums provided by long-time collaborator, Nascent. The track also welcomes listeners into Navarro's world, using old audio about Mexican immigrants and the ways in which they have used music for escape, empowerment, and action.
Action is the subject of the album's second track, "Feel The Earth Move", another track with Navarro in his bag, clearly displaying his lyrical skills. Tracks like "The Jordan Era" and "City Never Sleeps" featuring GLC bring in the Chicago perspective and add some lightness to the album. "Timeless", produced by Panik is another favorite on the LP, with Navarro recounting his experiences as an emcee and the frustrations with hitting a ceiling as far as recognition and accolades in the first verse. The second verse, he adopts the perspective of greed and motivation, showing the search for such accolades and success as a relationship and actor in the frustration.
The album ends with "Final Peace" a dedication to Hip Hop culture, something that gave him a voice when he thought he had none. I feel like this is the track in which Navarro brings everything together - his current family needs, his place in music, and a love for Hip Hop above fame. It's a sentiment that's not popular, but needed.
Late Pass - Lorde Fredd33 emerges with NORF: The Legend of Hotboy Ronald
"Late Pass" was a popular phrase in the earlier days of blogging. See, the key was getting posts up quickly, and if possible, being the first to do so. So, when writers would be even slightly late on posting a song, or album, or video, it was common that the writer would request a "late pass". Anddddd, you were just expected to be up on all the hot new joints.
Anyway - I've been way behind on new music and just writing in general, and I shall be requesting (and hopefully acquiring) several late passes this summer. Let's start with NORF: The Legend of HBR by Milwaukee's Lorde Fred33. This album was released May 1st, making me about 3 weeks behind. I'd now like to take a minute to also call out WebsterX for not letting me know this was out until... F*$KING MONDAY. Damn, Web, I thought we were boys... I feel extra stupid and late cause I've known about Lorde Fred33 for like 2-3 years now, and just never spent the time to fully dig into his music.
NORF: The Legend Hotboy Ronald is an album that feels centered in self-determination. That theme pops up early and often, and is perhaps best showcased on the second track, "Child Support (Need A Lick)". Fredd33 raps, "LLC cost $130, ain't shit to wake up early, get on the internet, craigslist, run the check," before pointing out the large DIY video library of youtube, and free cost of tuition to youtube university. What makes the song even stronger, and more representative of the LP's message, is the beautiful shift in the production that occurs just 30 seconds later.
After a few listens through the album, it seems that the core of the LP is a "I'm here to win, so I'm not here to play" philosophy, immersed in stories of day to day life in Milwaukee, one in which Fredd33 "grew up playing violins, around sirens and violence, not a lot of friends, at least I got fam though."
Fredd33's fam, the NAN Crew, comes through for him in a big way on NORF. WebsterX shines on "NBN", managing to reference Danica Patrick, Larry Bird, and Mike Jones all in the same verse. That song also stands out because of the way in which Lorde Fredd33 melds his style to match Web a bit in his cadence-heavy, slightly singing delivery. Then at the same time, Web chooses more straight forward bars, also recognizing his own change in creative spaces. It's a trip... The song also relays a clear message that Fred33's bad side is not a good place to be.
NAN's in-house producer, the incredibly talented Q The Sun, is the lone producer on 14 of the album's 15 tracks. "Goals" is the only exception, which was co-produced by Markayla (a student in Lorde Fred33 and Q The Sun's music program with Milwaukee Public Schools).
Fredd33's son also is a major part of the LP - both directly and indirectly. His son serves as the battery pack for Fredd33's sense of urgency and catalyst on many of the album cuts. He also is heard directly on "Free (Type Shit)".
I'd be remiss if I did not mention how clever and funny this project is at times. I feel I painted almost too much of a gloomy or serious picture. There is a serious tone on much the album, but also lighter moments. "Possum Play" is one of my favorite songs, and at its core, it is a crash course on spelling Lorde Fred33's name right (delivered with a Busta Rhymes tribute).
Hit play below.
https://soundcloud.com/lordefredd33/sets/norf