2013 Hip Hop Albums of the Year Part 1

2013 Hip Hop Albums of the Year Part 1

ITS TIME

ITS A(s)OTY TIME!!!!!!!

Pusha T – My Name Is My Name

The long awaited solo debut album from the self proclaimed “½ of the greatest duo ever” has lived up to its expectations and quieted all its haters.  Signature tracks Nosetalgia, Numbers on the Boards and Who I Am give an ominous and dark vibe, a precursor to letting Push enter the scene with provoked imagery and slice the tenseness in the air with a cocaine sickle.

Executive producer: Kanye West (which is probably why it took so long to come out)

Beats by Kanye West, The Neptunes, Hudson Mohawke, NOTTZ (VA!),  and No I.D.

Vocal features: Ab-Liva, Chris Brown, Kendrick Lamar, Rick Ross, The Dream, 2 Chainz, Big Sean, Jeezy, Pharrell

Beats: 9

Rhymes: 9

Life: 8.5

Danny Brown – OLD

OLD gives listeners a look into the head of Danny Brown post- ‘XXX.’  On Side A, he gives a glimpse into his past, allowing us to see his inner demons and past transgressions.  On Side B, Danny gives us his present state, which is basically a Hunter S. Thompson novel played over EDM.

Executive Producer:Nick Catchdubs (Mixtape about Nothing)

Beats by SKYWLKR, Paul Walker, Oh No, Darq E. Freaker, A-Trak

Vocal features: A$AP Rocky, Schoolboy Q, Freddie Gibbs, Ab-soul, Purity Ring

Beats: 8

Rhymes: 8.5

Life: 8

Kanye West – YEEZUS

You can read my previous review of the album here.

Executive Producers: Rick Rubin, Kanye West

Beats by: Kanye West, Daft Punk, Hudson Mohwake, Travis Scott, No I.D., 88-Keys

Vocal Features:  Justin Vernon, Frank Ocean, Chief Keef, Kid Cudi, King Louie, Charlie Wilson

Beats: 9

Rhymes: 9

Life: 9

Drake – Nothing Was The Same

After watching the latest South Park I realized I was hating hard on Drakes latest album; mainly because I was confused about the endgame of the record.  I didn’t know what he was a softcore ganster rapper or a hardcore R&B singer.  Then I realized; he has created his own lane.  Drake is Drake. Once I came to that conclusion, the album made more sense to me.  Just because I don’t agree with the person Drake is trying to be doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy the album for what it is. I will say this, I don’t agree with the way the album was organized the tracks are out of place.  I think Bigghostface has ruined Drake for me, also when I saw Wu-Tang Forever I expected to hear something completely different.

I’ll put it like this, I came into this album expected the whole thing to have bangers like Started From The Bottom all over the joint. You can’t expect things when you listen to a new album, free you mind and take the album for what it is.

Executive Producers: Lil Wayne, Drake, 40, J. Prince, Birdman, Slim …(People are eating…)

Beats By: 40, Boi 1da, Jake One, Mike Zombie, DJ Dahi, Key Wane, Hudson Mohawke

Vocal Features: Jay Z,  Jhene Aiko, Big Sean, 2 Chainz, Detail, Majid Jordan

Beats: 8

“Vocals”: 8.5

Life: 9

Roc Marciano - The Pimpire Strikes Back / Marci Beaucoup

To be honest I couldn’t decide which one was better because they’re both great albums.  You instantly get transformed back into the late 70-80’s with his slow flow which is remarkable (ha).  The brash delivery and hunger in his voice mixed with the jazz influenced production (most of which he created himself) allows for a great predecessor to MARCBERG.  You will also notice the number of features on both albums, you would think this would overshadow the production and feel of the album but it is seamless and cohesive.

Executive Producer: Roc Marciano & The Arch Druids

Beats: Roc Marciano, Madlib, Evidence, Mic Raw, Lord Finesse, Alchemist,

Vocal Features: Evidence, Ka, Guilty Simpson, Action Bronson, Knowledge the Pirate, Freeway, Maffew Ragazino, A.G. the Coroner, Boldy James,  Gangrene (Alchemist & Oh No), S.A.S., Blu, Quelle Chris, Cormega, Mayhem Lauren, Willie the Kid

Beats: 9

Rhymes 9.5

Life: 8.5

Run the Jewels – Run the Jewels

For a while, this was album of the year to me. Last year Killer Mike and EL-P took over the rap game and since they frequented each other’s albums, they figured, why not make a collabo, and Run the Jewels was born.  Both veterans in the game, EL-P and Killer Mike sound like they’ve rhymed together for years.  Similar subject matter, the ability to match flow for flow and all while keeping the intensity high and the listener engaged throughout.

Executive Producers: EL-P, Killer Mike

Beats By: EL-P, Wilder Zoby, Little Shalimar

Vocal Features: Prince Paul, Big Boi, Chest Rockwell

Beats: 9

Rhymes: 8.5

Life 9.5

Chance the Rapper – Acid Rap

Chance the Rapper is not new the scene by any means but he did a very good job of flying under the radar for this long.  Out of all the albums reviewed this year, this one has the most heart and comes from the perspective of someone actually going through it.  Some of y’all might not like his voice. And the Na Na Na stuff is pretty annoying sometimes.  But the lyrics stick to your ribs, they follow you.  I can’t tell you how many times I put Cocoa Butter Kisses on repeat.  I can’t explain how he makes me see his boy Rod gets stabbed on Juice.

Chance is the next pop/rap star.

Executive Producer:  Chance the Rapper and Elton Cheung

Beats By: Jake One, Nate Fox, Blended Babies, DJ Ozone, Peter Cottentale,

Vocal Features: Lili K, Nate Fox, Vic Mensa, Twista, Action Bronson, Childish Gambino, Saba, BJ the Chicago Kid, Ab-Soul, NoName Gypsy

Beats: 7.5

Rhymes: 9

Life: 8.5

Check back for part 2 soon!

Pusha T - Wrath of Caine Review

Intro – The track sets the stage for the entire album.  The Jamaican woman in the beginning is basically saying ‘no one in the rap game can mess with Pusha T.’ Some shots at Wayne are thrown in the beginning as well, (Ima lean till they crown me king of New Orleans) but the energy is the most important aspect.  The tone is set, lets go.

Millions (Feat. Rick Ross) – I like this track because basically both of these guys are really good at being arrogant on the mic.    Yeah I know they did the I’m Good Remix.  Yeah I know they collab’d on I Still Wanna (btw Ab-Liva out rapped both them dudes on that track).  But this seems right up their alley.  The loud horns, booming bass and catchy hook only add value to this already demanding track by giving it the ability to bump in the trunk and be appreciated by all.

Doesn’t Matter (Feat. French Montana) – I’m sorry but the autotune falsetto craze that Future started needs to go away…yesterday.  Anyway back to the track.  He starts off the track with brash comparisons to some of history’s most dominant beings just to put you in your place; ‘Peasants aint sitting with the Kings, Goliath and worried bout your sling, and Cassius aint bothered by your swings.’  The entire track is basically a display of confidence and hierarchy.  Listen to the amount of grammar used, alliteration, assonance, slant rhyme, similes and metaphors.  For all those saying that all this dude talks about is drugs, actually listen to the words and see how skilled of a lyricist he really is.

Blocka – Back to the Jamaican theme with this one, with Young Chop on the beat (Chief Keef’s go to producer). The beat is simple but effective, allowing Pusha to show his rhyming prowess without being overshadowed.  You can tell in his voice that Push is hungry on this track, keeping it short and sticking to his coke rap roots: ‘no soundscan for a brick layer, square nigga you a brick hater.’

Road Runner (Feat Troy Ave) –Harry Fraud comes through with some smooth NYC lax music.  To be honest, it would have made more sense to have French Montana on this track. Push comes through with a lazy coke flow with imagery that would make BIG smile down.

Revolution – Everytime the Clipse and The Neptunes get together, classics are made.  The signature horns and synths allow for Young Thornton to come an map out his career with a syllable heavy flow.  Gives me hope that there will be more collaboration in the future.

Only You Can Tell It (Feat Wale) – This track has some 2004 Dipset roots with the chipmunk voice and heavy drums.  To be honest, I wouldn’t have even thought this collaboration possible before Wale joined MMG, it just wasn’t his lane.  But It seems every day he seems to adapt more and more into this new persona and it shows his versatility.  It’s a good look to have two major artist from the DMV connect on a track together.  The track follows in suit to the two previous tracks, giving us more mellow sounding tracks and some deeper flows.

Trust You (Feat. Kevin Gates) – As stated before, this autotune falsetto stuff is wack… But this guy actually has some decent bars.  This is the track for the ladies.  Nuff said.

Take My Life (Feat Andrea Martin) – We had back to Kingston with this one and bring the guitar and the keys (pun intended) with us.  This track reminds me of Nightmares from When the Casket Drops with an eerie feeling of death around the corner.  Push seems more cautious than paranoid on this track though.

Liva – RE-UP GANG MOTIVATION – R.E.U.P.G.A.N.G. LIVA DON comes through and blesses the tape with a much appreciate feature.  To be honest his flow has always been the one that impressed me out of the 4.  The way he can effortlessly ride a beat and carry the same rhyme over 8-12 bars is nothing short of impressive and the visuals that his paints and the metaphors that he uses makes him one of the most slept on rappers in the game. Go get his I-Can tapes.  If they would’ve gone back and forth on this joint… that would’ve taken me back to 2006.

I am Forgiven – The final track brings a sense of self-realization;  a sense of actual closure.  ‘I ask forgiveness Lord, in hopes of getting more, then beg forgiveness for the same thing he forgave me for’; if that line doesn’t describe life itself.  We know we do wrong but sometimes we can’t help ourselves to be trapped in the same sin again.  He gives us a glimpse of how he perceives his own reality and states that you can’t go through all that he has, and not be forgiven.  I couldn’t think of a better way to end The Wrath of Caine.