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What To Expect From Amine’s First Album “Good For You”

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The freshly minted XXL Freshmen, after a brief string of singles, has finally announced a full length album “Good For You”, which is slated for release July 28. From “Caroline“, “Baba“, “REDMERCEDES”, and his single “Heebiejeebies” with Kehlani, Amine has never been one to shy away from sex wrapped in often playful and sometimes complex metaphors as fleshed out in Amine’s Genius breakdown of Caroline.

Amine’s character toggles between goofy, carefree and a steadfastness in his personal beliefs. If you follow the self titled Banana Boy on Twitter, you know he often makes exaggerated facial expressions, indecipherable jokes, does weird shit like eat banana bread in the shower, yet lays in the grass alongside bundles of bananas generally unbothered. This carefree black boy persona is further magnified by nonsensical video like this. Amine has also known to be racially-charged interactions as well in his work, such as in the music video REDMERCEDES in which he dons white face as a means of poking fun of prejudice as it pertains to class and appearance.

Yet the “Baba” rapper has also made less playful, more overt political statement as witnessed during his Jimmy Fallon performance back in 2016: when he remixed the ending of Caroline to address pressing issues in the U.S. such as the residual effects of 9/11, Trump’s divisive and brutal approach to politics, and bold proclamation such as “I’m black and proud. My skin is brown and loud”.

Amine’s approach to sexuality, humor, and socio-political immediacy are some of many topics we can expected from East African rapper’s premiere album. What I am hoping from the rapper is for him to blend his light-hearted carefree black boy nature to open up more about who he is as a person. Amine is a rapper who knows who he is in terms of sound and lyrical dexterity, although there is undoubtedly substantial room for growth. What makes Amine one of the best emerging rappers out right now is that he doesn’t take him so seriously. So much of rap is painfully steeped in hyper-masculinity and ways to use the female body, and while Amine does speak of sex, he does it in a way that women are also participants in the act. Much like No Name, Amine provides his audience a fresh outlook on common tropes–from a young man who has such a fondness for bananas.

Amine has won us over with his brilliant singles and so there is a lot to be expected from “Good For You”, a title that is both funny as much as it is sarcastic. “Good For You” is slated for July 28th, 2017, but in the meantime, enjoy more of Amine tomfoolery right here:

 

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I.S. Jones is a writer, artist, etc. living in New York City. You can tweet her @isjonespoetry

“On Opening The Window Of Success For Yourself” | An Interview with KOTA The Friend

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At the age of 24, KOTA the Friend has snagged the attention of XXL, The Fader, The Source, Pigeons & Planes, and OkayPlayer. As a fresh, new voice in hip-hop, KOTA is shaping out to be a force that cannot be ignored. I was granted the pleasure to interview KOTA years ago when he had less than 500 follows on Twitter, but from then to now, the rapper has built an impressive following, dropped his first mixtape, and even added a new addition to his family. Born and raised in Brooklyn, KOTA is a voice New York needs now more than ever. His newest single “Like Waters” was co-produced by Nimbus Beats and premiered on Ebro Darden’s Beats1 Radio Show. His show at SOBs is this Tuesday, May 16th. Doors open 7:30PM. Tickets are available here 

I.S. Jones: From 2016 until now, you’ve gained a lot of traction from major platforms. So what made you decide 2016 was your year?

KOTA The Friend: From 2016 to 2017, a lot of things happened. I had my first child back in January. At the latter end of 2016, I started working on my next project, and really I just got excited about the music I was making. I started working with new producers, and when the XXL [Freshmen Class auditions] came, [it was] eye-opening for me. The head editors of XXL want me to tell them why I deserve to be a freshmen and it put me in a whole other headspace, I was telling myself “Just do it!” You know? I just decided this is going to be my year, because why not? Things are going well for me; I was able to do a show in L.A. and in Oakland. I have a show coming up at S.O.B.

Jones: Oh yes! I want my ticket, please!
KOTA: Yeah, I got you. It’s just like, I had a chance for all these things to happen, and so I decided all of these blessings are happening now. This is the window. I realized “This is my window”, and if I let my window pass, it’s gonna be tragic. It’s gonna be my year, not because everyone is fucking with me, it’s because I am fucking with me. Because the time is now.

Jones: Let’s talk about your son. He is so little and so beautiful!

KOTA: Heh, thank you!

Jones: It seems you stumbled into fatherhood. Did you want to talk about?

KOTA: Well, it wasn’t planned for sure. I definitely stumbled into it, of course. There are a lot of emotions that go into being a parent, getting adjusted. It’s been a super blessing. Before it happened, I was nervous, I was scared. I was like “Am I ready for this? I gotta get ready for this”. Just honestly, the blessings he gave me, being born and being on earth are way more than any other blessings that I’ve ever gotten in my life. I’m such a happier person, recently, with so much purpose. I know why I’m grinding. You could be grinding but you don’t know, but I know why I’m grinding because I want good things for him and I know I want [my son] to be proud of me. It just gave me so purpose, so much to work for, so much to live for. It really helped me put all of the drama, all of the stress, everything that was distracting me completely to the side and focus on the goal.

Jones: So, let’s talk about “Palm Tree Liquor”—it’s a beautifully produced album, only 9 tracks. It’s an album which creates a dreamy landscape of sound. Talk to me about the producers you were working with and talk to me about its sound. Is the sound you wanted for “Palm Tree Liquor” the sound that was generated when everything was mixed and mastered? Did the producers you worked with help you achieve your vision? Do you feel PLT was received in the way you had hoped? Talk to me about how the brainchild for this album began.

KOTA: PLT was 95% produced by me, but there were two other producers that were brought to me, but most of it was produced by me. It was definitely a journey. Sonically, it took a while, it took a full year to finish.

Jones: Yes, everything about the album feels very intentional.

KOTA: That’s what I like about it too. I feel every time I listen to PLT, there are sounds and things I did that I can’t really recreate, and I’ll listen to it thinking “Damn, what I did there was dope”, “What I did there was dope”, and it was something that came together at the time because it was the right time for it to come together. I feel this will be one of those projects people will return to and say “I feel this project was fully him”.

Jones: You were once a cinematographer, I know you said you put that aside to focus more so on the music, is that correct…?

KOTA: Yes

Jones: What was the moment that made you decide to put this one aspect of your life on pause?

KOTA: When I think of when I started doing cinematography, it’s like I was making music before that and I knew I needed to change my direction because I wasn’t happy with where I was, so I sold all my recording equipment, all my music stuff, and I got video equipment. For 3 years, I didn’t make any music—I just shot video. I really honed in on the craft and seriously put in work. It took me far, and it took me to the point where I could have had a solid career just doing that. I think 3-4 years later, I looked it my life and thought, “I want to make music”.

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The experience taught me I could be successful if I put my all into it. I was like “If I put this towards the music, then I could have the same success”. That’s what I did, because my first love has always been music. I realized that I wanna make music, I wanna be an artist, I wanna travel, and I wanna tour. I wanna be a real artist, so I took all that energy and put it right into the music. It’s been great so far. I’ve done my first set of paid features. What you put your energy into is where the success is gonna come from.

Jones: I notice the culture tends to financially exploit emerging rappers under the guise of “rap for exposure” or “pay to play here”. I think it’s really beneficial for those who love hip hop and realize they want to make a career out of it to seek advice or guidance from those who came before them or who are farther along. As an emerging artist, such as yourself who knows who they are in their music, who knows how to work the room, how does an emerging artist get paid for their work when they don’t have much of a name or have much footing in this arena?

KOTA: Honestly, people that listen to music and really like your music will not really care how big you are. If they really fuck with your music, they’ll want to pay to see you perform. The reason why I charge [to perform] now is that you get to a point where so many people are hitting you up for a feature it gets to a point where [you] can’t make money and do what I’m doing and recording all these features. You know…? You have to make a choice. Is this music thing gonna be a side thing? Or am I gonna do this full-time and really do it? In order to get people to pay you, really invest in you, they have to know you’re serious about it. They have to know you can go to distance and that you have potential, because if people see you have the potential to be great, the vision will show. They’ll want to get on when you’re not that big. I understand that completely because I would be same way. If I see someone killin’ it and he was dope but on the low, I would definitely get that on that first. I appreciate the people ate believing in me because they’re keeping me going. That feature money is money for my son. Summer wear, you know [chuckles]. Diapers for my son. It keep me going. I just wanna eat and stay afloat.

Jones: On Instagram, about three days ago, it looks like you were in front of Atlantic Records door in Los Angeles. What are you up to?

KOTA: I was in the studio with…I can’t say the person [chuckles]. We were in the studio, sharing some music and just vibin’. It was a meeting.

Jones: So now with ‘Palm Tree Liquor’ out in the world, and your next project on the way, is there anything you can tell us about your sophomore project…?

KOTA: This project is very different from PTL. First thing that is different: I didn’t fully produce any songs on it. It’s a completely collaborative effort with a bunch of other producers. I think it’s beautiful because it’s helped me to see other peoples’ vision. The sound [for this project] has gotten that much more broad because, I don’t have to take the time to make the beats. Then when I get on the verse, I know I’m not gonna get credit for the beat or verse, so I know I have to go hard as fuck. I have to put all this energy into this verse, so everything is more potent. Yeah, the verse is more potent, the hook, the sound, the mixing—it’s all on point. The sound is more grand. It’s obviously still me being more of myself, but it’s on a whole other level. More people will appreciate this project. I think it’ll be hard for people not to.

Jones:  On more advice for upcoming rappers, your cinematography has financed a lot of your musical endeavors. What advice would you give to artists to curve the costs of being a recording artists—paying for studio time, use of equipment, getting features on your project, other costs an artist may not have accounted for? How do you alleviate that issue…?

KOTA: If you can do something on your own, do it on your own. A lot of artists are misguided in that they feel they need ‘this’ and they need ‘that’. You don’t need 5 music videos, when you’re an underground artist. You need to focus on making good music. When you go into these labels and you meet with these people, they’re not thinking of the music videos you have, they thinking about what the music sounds like. Every artist has to sit with themselves and ask, “Am I going to be doing this for the 5 years later or for the moment?” That will honestly eliminate a lot of stress and anxiety right there. You putting your time into anything is an investment; your time is your greatest investment. I’m not saying you only need good music; you also need to have a plan. Young kids coming up, 18, 19, 20, etc, you have time to figure it out. While you don’t have kids or other responsibilities, you can make this happen. You can network and make yourself known, just don’t get distracted by the bullshit in your life.

Jones: Finally, tell us about your show at SOB’s.

KOTA: I consider this show is my homecoming because it’s my first show at a huge venue in a while in New York. I’m hype for it. I can’t wait to bring out everyone. Everyone that I know—big and small—is coming to see me. I want people to know I am out here, so this event is a big deal. I really want to win over my city.

KOTA’s ‘Palm Tree Liquor’ can be heard here:

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I.S. Jones can be found here on Twitter

ScHoolBoy Q, ‘Oxymoron’ | Album Reviews | DeadEndHipHop

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ScHoolBoy Q, ‘Oxymoron’ | Album Reviews | 

"Give daddy your best gangster grill"
“Give daddy your best gangster grill”
“An engrossing album dipped with hues of a bloody past, crippling drug use, sleazy living and easy dying. It took all Q could muster to spell out this moody doctrine, but the California-TDE rapper both delivered and dismantled.”

*Written Review

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                Oxymoron is straight hard-hitting, with rag-tag lyrics, loud delivery, and non-“conscious” subject matters that are told from a user, dealer, and trigger puller. Each song is a bit of a disunion within themselves, reaffirmations that lifestyle only serves as sub-context for the music. For every droll, amusing lyric comes a bone-hard serious verse, and for every campy tune comes a diabolical counterexample. Schoolboy Q decimates each beat within an inch of its life, a furiously daunting task taking into consideration the roars served on each drum and bass-line from boisterous production on songs such as “What They Want” and “Hoover Street”. Q tames the wild beasts uncaged by super-producers like Pharrell and Mike Will Made It with a stiff javelin that cuts straight across the ice cubes of the “polished trap” sounds and the sinister murals painted on steep, adamantine cliffs one calls a beat. Oxymoron is a particularly different and new sounding album, relishing in a lukewarm light that exploits the pairing of hard sounding music with progressional chords and various lurking instruments, like the piano’s on “Fuck LA” or the violins at the end of “Man of the Year”. Musically, the album is multi-faceted, with an elongated dragon painted on one side of the face, and a perched owl on the other. Tracks like “Gangsta”, “Hoover Street”, “Prescription/Oxymoron”, and “Fuck LA” are the raw, rugged, oozing and stenching songs which are manifests of previous Schoolboy works from “Habits and Contradictions” and “Setbacks”. Full of decomposing, malevolent harmony progressions and discomforting piano keys, these songs embody both Schoolboy’s personal intricacies and style. Meanwhile, tracks like “Break the Bank” and “Blind Threats” are clear homages to late 90’s hip-hop ancestry, leaking a long, thick trail of boom-bap elements chockfull of cutting percussions and ominous strings. The album serves up songs like “Man of the Year”, “Hell of a Night”, “What They Want”, and “Studio”, which offer up divergent countenances that include R’n’B elements, striking trap beats, dance bass-lines, and woo-ing melodies. Additionally, frivolous songs like “Collard Greens” and “Los Awesome”, along with cacophony anthems such as “The Purge”, “Grooveline Pt. 2”, and “His & Her Fiend”, are corners of the album which emit shadows deviating from the main course. They are lodged within the LP, spontaneous between tracks of different accords and themes. That division between seriousness and self-deprecation is a facet of Q’s music which separates him from the good kid, do-goody vibe attitudes of a Kendrick Lamar or a flawlessly cohesive, non-stop album from say a J. Cole or Drake. The finale of this album, “Fuck LA”, is the summation and the “Tl;dr” afterword of the album. A middle finger to the world and a reckless disregard for both conventional and bohemian schools of thought, this album is one of total disarray. Full of crushing melodies yet dastardly well-placed harmonies, the music side of this project is top-notch albeit overwhelming in certain respects.

ScHoolBoy Q, 'Oxymoron' | Album Reviews |

As Q treads on this album with his various moods and idiosyncrasies, the lyrical hole that occupies this album is, however, largely left un-filled. Q is by no means a super-flowing, extra-brainy rapper of an Ab-Soul or even Kendrick demeanor, but the feeling one gets is that Q left a lot of things un-said and a lot of gravely stones un-turned. The concept of this album, an oxymoron, where Q is doing bad to ultimately do good for his daughter, is really only a general gist of Q’s project. The stories and insights one might expect from the self-proclaimed “most gangster rapper since 50 Cent” are either largely non-existent or sluggishly explored on this album. Save the captivating narratives such as “Hoover Street”, “Blind Threats”, and “Prescription/Oxymoron”, Schoolboy Q released an uncharted and dense album, which clocks in at about an hour and 15 tracks, and one that is left un-bothered in terms of lyrical depth. Listening to past projects like “Setbacks” and “Habits & Contradictions”, one quickly realizes that Q was saying more on those angles. Braggadocio songs like “What They Want” and “Man of the Year” are appetizing, but come major label debut studio album time, a demand is placed that asks for more bread for the birds and more lyrics for the rummaging. Q only serves a half-palatable experience in terms of lyrical prowess and insight, and while it’s not fair to place him on that pedestal obtainable only by a few elite rappers, many will not give him the benefit of the doubt considering his company of sharp MC’s like Ab-Soul, Kendrick Lamar, and Isaiah Rashad. Holistically, the album does not offer a whole lot from a written, narrative standpoint, but that is not to say a listener cannot be entrenched or floored by Q’s magnetic delivery and convivial love for ring-a-ling choruses and verses.

“O-X-Y, I’m Moroooonn…”

The Lyrics: 6.9/10

The Music: 8.8/10

Overall Score: 8.5/10

3 Best Songs: Hoover Street, Break The Bank, Prescription/Oxymoron

3 Worst Songs: Los Awesome, The Purge, His & Her Fiend

Alternate Tracklist:

1. Gangsta

2. WHat THey Want

3. Studio

4. Collard Greens

5. His & Her Fiend

6. Grooveline Pt. 2

7. Gravy

8. Blind THreats

9. Break tHe Bank

10. Hell of a NigHt

11. Man of tHe Year

12. Hoover Street

13. Prescription/Oxymoron

14. FUCK LA

Bonus: THe Purge & Los Awesome

Music Videos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rc-Vqcud32I

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEMsjeq43_U

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_L2vJEb6lVE

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Fabolous: The Soul Tape 3 Review | Dead End Hip Hop |

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THE SOUL TAPE 3 REVIEW

Fabolous’ toolset includes a vast array of punchlines, appealing and charming hooks, and an aptitude for picking just the right drum or snare. And recently, Fab has done his best job at showing you his knack for beat picking on the successful, well acclaimed “Soul Tape” series. The Soul Tape series is a treat for any fan of the genre; fans don’t have to pay anything, and the digestibleness of Fabolous coupled with the series’ signature fedora hat feel, fan favorite producer style of soul sampling production aims for an easy listen with any rap fan. There is also an underlying continuation within the series: the beats get lavisher, the features get bigger, the freestyles are dialed down, and the venues on the covers (From the Apollo, to the Beacon, to MSG) grow in size and prestige by every step of the series. And so, back by popular demand, Fabolous shimmy’s down the chimney this Christmas season, as the Soul Tape series returns with another inclusion, this round upping the ante one more time.

Soul Tape 3 opens up with the intro song “Everything Was The Same”, which is a play on the title of Drake’s 2013 album “Nothing Was The Same”, and a freestyle over the Jordan Evans produced “Paris Morton Music 2”. This freestyle track, the only one on Soul Tape 3, contains hindsight only a few rappers as surviving as Fabolous can talk about. Fab is a vet with more than just a few medals in the showroom, but the grandiosity of those achievements have all but lost their luster by now, and particularly so as Fab enchants the situation by laminating a cushy piano track with his grievances and introspects. Fab’s lyrical prowess is also as sharp as ever on this song, as he raps “All ya’ll see is sunshinin’, think I was never shaded/Ya’ think these calendar models is all that I ever dated”. While Fabolous’ fondness of punchlines has often been pointed out as the crux of his music, he is more tasteful this time around as he tones down the acute overtones which often embody the typical crude and lewd “punchline” lyric of today. This song segues into “Sacrifices”, a track which arrives as merrily and sprightly as can be, but a track which tackles far more introspective than frolicking subject matters the song’s production might suggest. It opens up with the lines: “Seeing your family scrambling, that’s sanity damaging/Gotta, make a move can’t just stand and be mannequin”, an exhibition of Fab’s dagger wordplay and rhyme scheming. If any sound embodies the series, “Sacrifices” is it; it’s a lively track with a crooning sample that is accompanied by hard hitting drums that seemingly defy the convention of soft bass instruments which often accompanies soul sampling. The song also exhales an air of groundedness in both the boards and the verses, an air, however, that is quickly whisked away by Fabolous on track 3 “Playa”. The song, which samples Notorious B.I.G.’s “Playa Hater”, has verses that are melodized and hummed, much in the same way Biggie does in the sample track. And from one sampled Brooklyn-MC to to the next, track #5 “The Get Back” contains an eerie, chill arousing version of the piano from Jay-Z’s classic “Dead Presidents” beat, over fleeting southern trap high drums and a plethora of blaring, thundering snares. This song also contains Fabolous’ formal reply to Kendrick’s “Control” verse that was all the rage during the summer months of 2013:

“Just tooting your own horn, do your thing my N-I-G
Whenever you ven aquito that mighty NYC
We gon’ check that name you claim, bring your YAWK and I.D
We take it the wrong way, all gold everything”

While it’s only a commentary on the backlash Kendrick received for his statements and not a retaliation against the new self-proclaimed “King of NYC”, the lyrics provide a type of sage quality, the type you seek from a near middle aged rapper, and a type of conveyance sorely lacking from previous responses and from today’s rappers (looking at you Papoose). Fabolous is also the gracious host for track 7 “The Hope” which features NYC rapper Jadakiss and production from Araabmuzik, the producer who also worked on Soul Tape 2 song “Beauty”, a song which uniquely paired deep, booming drums with a wailing looped high-pitched soul sample. “The Hope” does more of the same, as the pulsating and strumming drums on the song barrages against a hollering voice track and reverberating synths. As The Hope exits with a fade out, the first act of the mixtape bows its head and shifts the curtain for the second troupe that opens and enters with “You Know”, a song which seeks to embody the town car, tip your hat to the door man at the Tribeca Grand experience the series has been known for producing. It also features a hook and verse from ATL rapper Young Jeezy, who with his gravelly voice belts out a melodized hook that takes up much of the song.

The mixtape then enters “Cuffin’ Season”, a song which wholeheartedly epitomizes the Twitter/Instagram culture of 2013 over icy and harsh production, and a song that seeks to disclose the feline intent which has seemingly eluded the so-called “La Marina ballers”.. as the hook goes “These hoes keep calling, I ain’t picking up/Damn, I’m so cold in the fucking winter”. But oddly enough, this persnickety song transitions into the last 3 songs of the tape “Thim Slick”, “Lay Down”, and “Situationships”, songs which rather serve as serenades and toasts to the ethereal allure of Fab’s favorite hookups. As Jeremih sings on the hook of Thim Slick, “Thim slick girls get me every time/Thim slick girls could get every dime”, and as Mack Wilds closes out on “Situationships”, “Somebody gonna be mad if they hear me sayin that/I’m single”, Fab seals the deal with a kiss as he brandishes his sword on what will probably serve as this season’s best mood music.

What is particularly enticing about this mixtape is Fab’s liking for “sticking to the plan”. He only crosses into dangerous or unmarked territory as an artist when something is on the line, which is not so the case of this mixtape. The “sound” of the mixtape is predictable; anyone who’s heard previous Soul Tapes knows what to expect. All 3 tapes are even sequenced similarly, as a song with one subject matter from ST1 or 2 will be duplicated to the next, even on the same track number and with the same formula. And yet, not a single moment lapses on this tape, or any other addition to the series, where the music is dull, cut-and-dried, or mechanical. Really, the only song this tape that surrenders its signature sound is “Foreigners”, an understandable digression which pairs Chicago drill instruments with epic movie soundtrack strings. Another thing worth noting is the mixtape’s careful timing. The tape is not only short enough for simultaneous playbacks but also long enough for a deeply engrossing listen upon the heavy tracks and even lightheaded enjoyment on the sensual ones. The brilliance of this tape is found in its briefness, and as a rule of thumb, the shorter it is, the more people want it.

Top 3 Favorite Songs: Sacrifices, Thim Slick, Situationships
3 Least Favorite Songs: Foreigners, You Know, Lay Down
How I would have sequenced this project differently: No other way, the songs are sequenced perfectly
The chances of you liking this project: 89%
The Verdict: 4.5/5

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ScHoolboy Q – OXYMORON Teaser + Release Date

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The TDE camp took to Twitter today to release a teaser for Schoolboy Q’s new album, OXYMORON. Within the clip, Q’s daughter reveals that the long-awaited album will hit shelves on February 25th.

From what we’ve heard so far, we’re sure to be in for a treat when this one drops.

Now we wait.

Album Review: P.R – Moment In Time

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I didn’t know what I was getting into when I started listening to Moment In Time by P.R, but after about a minute or so into this seven track EP, I was already bobbing my head while the beats hit hard out of my speakers. Moment In Time is entirely produced by P.R and his work here is great. I must confess that I am a 90’s kid, but I love a large selection of music across genres, so I was pleased to hear P.R’s heavy use of jazz instrumentals in his production on Moment In Time.

The jazz instrumental portions, the R&B and the bass heavy hip-hop production was very refreshing to hear in a mix and when listening to Moment In Time it became quite relaxing. This was especially true on the second track “Our Spot”. I’m still debating with myself if “Our Spot” is my favorite track or the EP’s opener “Set The Scene” featuring Substantial and Brooklyn’s own Skyzoo (both of which deliver some good verses).

Another thing about Moment In Time that I enjoyed was how it was structured. P.R would have a track with an MC or a vocalist flowing over his production, and the following track would just be an instrumental, this gave the EP some nice contrast.

Moment In Time by P.R really packs a punch and is worth a listen if you’re a fan of old school hip hop, R&B, and jazz instrumentals like myself. And really it’s worth a listen if you just like good music. Listen to Moment In Time HERE on P.R’s Bandcamp page, and, if you enjoy what you hear, show your support by buying the EP.

Before I end it here, I must say that I absolutely love the artwork for this EP, that alone should be enough for you to give this EP a listen!

 

The opinions and views expressed here are the opinions of the designated author(s) and do not reflect the opinions or views of any of the individual members of Dead End Hip Hop.

Liym Courteous | The Float Pamphlet

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My homie Jerome Warren (@Darealrome), co-founder of DAREALES apparel, put me onto Liym Courteous’ project The Float Pamphlet. On first listen, all I could think about is how smooth and chill his demeanor is on every beat. His laid back flow reminded me of a young Ma$e. As you dig into the lyrics you might believe he is from Miami, but his verses were inspired by Miami’s ambiance and weather made for cruising the South Beach strip. Overall I like his beat selection and flow but I don’t believe he has reached his potential as an emcee. I look forward to Liym’s continued progress in hip hop. Be on the lookout for an Indie Interview with the whole DEHH crew and Liym Courteous in the near future.

 

 

Mixtape Review: Hayze – The Smoker’s Section

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In case you haven’t read any profiles or reviews of A$AP Rocky or one of his projects, let me catch you up to speed. People are falling over themselves to talk about how his rise to prominence is heralding an era of post-regionalism, wherein someone’s hometown no longer has any bearing on their sound. Of course, this is both an oversimplification of Rocky’s conceit and a mischaracterization of rap in 2013, but it does give us an opening to talk about what’s really happening: we’re diversifying. Aesthetic directions are becoming increasingly specific, increasingly varied, and (perhaps because of this reality) more important to a rapper trying to build a fan base. Simply ‘rapping better’ than your contemporaries is still important to segments of the rap-listening population, but it’s not going to gain you any traction on Tumblr. Add to this the fact that record labels are trying to sponsor and co-opt existing buzz rather than molding artists from square one, and suddenly creating a unique artistic point of view is a matter of life or death for aspiring rappers.

Connecticut’s Hayze seems to have some sense of this, but his The Smoker’s Section mixtape fails to either carve a definitive niche for himself or be captivating enough within any niche to command the listener’s attention. Ostensibly (and rather obviously), he’s your standard weed rapper, but within that world he grows increasingly confused over the tape’s brief (twenty-nine minute) running time. Opening number “Higher” has him casting himself as a cerebral twist on the smoked-out archetype, lamenting his uncle’s prison record all while he’s out there himself, “feeding his friends’ addictions.” This inner turmoil would be captivating, but it dissipates before the song’s finished, with a second verse that devolves into aphorisms and run-of-the-mill rap cliches, culminating with his insistence that he’s “balling and what have you.”

This confusion is pretty indicative of the tape as a whole. After “Higher”, we get a faux-90s revival track in “Creep Mode”, followed quickly by trap-lite number “Ridin’ N Smokin'”. The aesthetic inconsistency is matched by a lack of lyrical direction, as Hayze abandons the burning conscience of earlier on the tape and tries to paint himself as a calloused drug lord, without spinning any interesting stories of dealing. Even when he tries to mitigate the heartlessness by asking “Heaven to help” him when he “falls” (on “Fair Warning”), he trips on his own feet to backtrack, insisting to the faceless girl in the song that he won’t be spending any money on her, and the song falls completely flat. This isn’t because of some misplaced sense of moral outrage — if we’re being honest with ourselves, remorseless, cold, misogynistic themes keep popping up in rap because oftentimes they simply work. Rather, the song fails because it’s uninteresting and has been made countless times by countless rappers, often in superior fashion. So when he follows this with an equally hollow ode to another nameless woman on the outro, “Cloud 9”, we get the sense that Hayze is throwing darts at a wall to see what sticks.

Now, the massive caveat that this tape deserves is that, aside from the bland “Creep Slow” and the awful “Fair Warning”, Hayze clearly has the technical chops and sonic instincts to make interesting records. The aforementioned trap of “Ridin’ N Smokin'” is absolutely at odds with the rest of the project, but it’s a believable iteration of its intended style. To suggest that a rapper with uninspired lyricism but a serviceable and pliable (if not unique) voice won’t succeed would be naive — Hayze sounds like a rapper. The probably-Kendrick-biting “Smokers Section Interlude” is undoubtedly the highlight here, with a bright, warm bounce and playful flow that makes even his drier lyricism more palatable. Then there’s the double edged sword of “Life Is Hell”, where unlikely mentor Apathy shows up to inject some much-needed grit, but makes his protege look a bit lifeless in the process. 

Ultimately, the tape’s deep identity crisis prevents the listener from drawing any interesting conclusions about Hayze as a person. The schizophrenic aesthetic choices are exacerbated by such a short running time, to the point where you might be able to convince someone that The Smoker’s Section is a collection of covers. The other glaring problem is Hayze’s refusal or inability to either dig deeper into his life, say vapid things in a more interesting way, or both. He shows hints of being able to craft sonically compelling music, and could find success if he nails down a more specific and interesting point of view, but as of now there’s no indication of that.