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XXXTentacion and the “J-Cole Effect”

March 16, 2018 by I.S. Jones Leave a Comment

“To be a woman who loves hip-hop at times is to be in love with your abuser. Because the music was and is that. And yet the culture is ours”.—Ava DuVernay

 

I began writing this story on August 26, 2017—observing carefully XXXTentacion’s emergence into the public eye. And on August 26th, 2017 #WomensEqualityDay, Kendrick Lamar co-signed XXXTentacion‘s premiere full-length debut 17 by enthusiastically gushing over the album’s power to capture raw, honest emotion. The young rapper from South Florida who has a well-documentary of violence: home invasion, armed robbery, and aggravated battery with a firearm. The rapper was released earlier in 2017 for domestic battery by strangulation of a pregnant woman, who was his then-girlfriend. Yet, I never finished writing this story because I thought, even with winning the grace and favor of King Kendrick, ultimately hip-hop could not accept someone like XXXTentacion.

Kendrick, over the years, has been both galvanized as the rap god taking hip-hop in a right direction, yet has been accused of imposing misogynistic comments on women and their bodies. Back in April 2017, the rapper came under fire for his standout single “Humble” and lyrics which allegedly shamed women who do anything to enhance their appearances: “I’m so f**kin’ sick and tired of the Photoshop / Show me somethin’ natural like afro on Richard Pryor / Show me somethin’ natural like ass with some stretch marks”. Now, one can make the excuse that it’s an earnest attempt to speak to how black women should love themselves in their natural state, yet this lyric works two-fold 1. It implies that women who digitally enhance their look are self-hating, and 2. Pits women against each other in some sad Twitter melee to prove who has more worth. And yet at this point, we expect it from our favorite rappers—to objectify women, to assert their clout and wealth, and quietly we accept it. Myself, too many times, included. We hold Kendrick to a particular standard we just do not hold other rappers to. For better or worse, whether you agree or not (numbers stand the test of time) Kendrick is a living legend. His singular presence has left a profound mark on the culture. This is why I must be critical of Kendrick and who he chooses to publicly support. When he speaks, he has the hearts and minds of the hip-hop community in his hand.

Screenshots from Kendrick’s “Humble” which stirred the controversy

While Kendrick missed the mark entirely, it’s difficult to see him as a stereotypical rapper who scapegoats womens’ bodies to sell a hot track. Kendrick has shown massive support for SZA throughout her career, especially with CTRL out in the world and now with her name on the credits for Black Panther. Kendrick constantly picks regular-looking women to be in his music videos. That was my initial confusion over his co-signing the young and very troubled rapper, a troubled young man who has said he would seek revenge by fucking the throats of someone’s sister. Yet, the more I think about it and withhold prejudice, I can see why Kendrick and a lot of young men see themselves in X.

XXXTentacion, born Jahseh Dwayne Onfroy, grew up in Plantation, Florida which resides in Broward County. In 2014, X was sent to a youth detention facility for armed robbery, armed burglary, possession of a firearm, grand theft, possession of Oxycontin, and the list goes on and on. In an interview, X states he knocked a young girl out for allegedly messing with him. While in the detention center, X would grow close to fellow rapper Ski Mask the Slump God and together they would go onto to form the collective Members Only, dropping collaborative mixtape 1 & 2 of the collective’s respective name. On October 6, 2016, the assault which gained him even more notoriety transpired—X beat his then-pregnant girlfriend to the point of near blindness.

Screenshots from Twitter of X’s former girlfriend following the aftermath of the domestic dispute

According to the Miami-Dada arrest report, the “victim’s eyes [were] punched to where both eyes became shut and [the] victim could not see”. While prosecutors had to remove sworn statements from several witnesses, among them the alleged victim, it coincides with charges against X for witness tampering. While the claim of witness tampering has only be substantiated as mere speculation, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that X and his crew threatened and muscled witnesses into compliance. What I find the most frightening is the tenacity of his fans to defend his behavior at all costs and the incredibly illogical leaps and bounds they make to call all of this anything other than what it is.

A fan claiming his loyalty towards X while ridiculing the young woman

This is what I call the “J-Cole Effect”, how an artist positions themselves to be the voice of the underdog or the voice of many, thus gaining devout love and loyalty which subsequently exonerates the artist from any real consequence of their words or actions. I remembered when “Friday Night Lights” dropped that I knew J. Cole’s greatest superpower was that of the big brother archetype. “At its best, the tape has an organic warmth that lends it an immediate approachability” stated one Pitchfork review of Cole’s work. Jermaine Cole, whether you like his music or not, is renowned as a sweetheart in the rap game. His “real, neighborhood feel and down to earth persona”, reaching out his fans and actually following through on his promises makes him that much more lovable. At the bare minimum, to have a big brother archetype that can adequately express a young boy’s interior landscape is magnificent, to know you can stay true to who you are, where you come from and be successful. Cole successfully appeals to the young man who still finds himself reminiscing about girls who got away or what he had to sacrifice to make his dreams possible. He appeals to the young boy who dreams bigger than his body when no one believed in him or saw the vision. He raps to those who have something to prove and, truth be told, it feels good to have someone as big as Cole reflecting your lived experiences and winning.

In this vein, XXXTentacion also has this gift. This is not to compare Cole and X, but to recognize that with such magnificent power it must also be paired with a clear and responsible temperament, which X just does not possess. Through his successful single and his success only furthered with his indictments, this has provided him access to the sympathy of his fans. There is an audacity and irreverence about XXXTentacion that makes him relatable and desirable to young men. He entices violence while getting away with behavior that other men wouldn’t do for fear of any consequences. The “J-Cole Effect” makes it so fans will either justify abhorrent behavior, feign ignorance, or flat-out deny the artist did anything wrong when the evidence is overwhelming. Young men who are angry, depressed, and have no healthy or safe outlet to negotiate their sorrow, rage, etc. turn to X in a metaphorical pat on the back as if to say, “I survived the worst and if I got through this so will you”. Yet, X prides himself in rallying his fans towards ugly and trifling actions, even going as far as assaulting a fan at a show. X fans mocked and ridiculed the young woman saying she “got what she deserved”. The young woman was branded a “liar” and “someone trying to make a quick buck off X” instead of seeing her as a victim at the hands of someone on an ego trip.

I used to think “Men in hip-hop hate women” but the deeper I look, I realize it’s a far more complicated and nuanced than that. Hip-hop has never been shy about how much of a boy’s club it is. Fans of hip-hop (unsurprisingly and overwhelmingly men) are conditioned to see women’s bodies as a means to an end, to validate and solidify their manhood and prowess. The “J-Cole effect” covers this as well; multiple examples of Cole throughout his career of using pejorative slurs towards gay men and women yet being able to hide under the guise of “getting a message across”. The repeated use of women as an accessory towards the validation of masculinity is one of many reasons why men are seldom up in arms over violence towards women or the violence isn’t taken seriously until a man finally steps up to call it out. I mean, why care about a piece of furniture being broken when I get 100 more just like it…? Being called the “hardest rapper in Florida” by well-respected contemporary A$AP Rocky has not only allowed his career to flourish but encourages his violent tendencies. And now Kendrick. For the Rap god to rally behind someone who is so unabashedly remorseless in his behavior & outright violence towards others and towards women, initially defied logic. I really thought Kendrick had to turn a blind eye but Kendrick’s eyes are wide open.

When I did finally press play on 17, I was startled by how beautiful and earnest it was. If I had set the bar at all, X obliterated it. I understand fully why Kendrick could be aware of X’s past and present, yet still give him a chance. X created a body of work comes from a young man with a deeply troubled past, absent parents, immeasurable violence, and so forth. But it’s not enough then and it is surely not enough now. At what point do we draw a line? Do we allow X a platform despite his gift when he has proven himself to be a danger to women? And what exactly does that say about us—the fans of hip-hop—who condone violent men as long as they give us the music that speaks to our deepest angst? Back in August, a fan wrote into DJ Booth and made this poignant claim:

“He is the new generation’s troubled mind. Depression will have you become a person you’re not. I truly don’t believe X is an idiot.”

You’re right, Jarell, I don’t believe X is an idiot either. I believe he knows exactly what he’s doing. I also think supporting someone like this makes us complicit in his behavior. I believe Jarell, sadly, represents many of his fans who are smart and are fully aware of his violent tendencies but are fine with it as long as he keeps being the voice of their hurt and pain. As fans, we must take ourselves to task. It’s embarrassing how hip-hop has done little to support young women, reminding us time and time again the opinions and voices of men supersede our literal safety. Some are surprised and even angry about the #MeToo movement when we allow rappers like X to rise to stardom knowing who is he. Fans must hold themselves and their heroes accountable because our engagement in these artists is what determines who will rise and who will fall.

I’m sure X’s new joint “?”, which dropped 3 minutes after midnight, is another emotionally rendering experience which will allow him the line to soar once again on the Billboard charts, but I do not and cannot support this artist, not when there is so much more critical work to be done to make hip-hop a more habitable space for women.

***

I.S. Jones is a writer living in New York by way of California. She is the Managing Editor of Dead End Hip Hop. Her Twitter inbox is closed until further notice, so please send music to music@deadnedhiphop.com. She’s writing herself into a better future. You can tweet at her here

Filed Under: Articles, Features Tagged With: j-cole effect, kendrick lamar, XXXTentacion

Kendrick Lamar and SZA – All The Stars (Music Video)

February 6, 2018 by Terrence Sage Leave a Comment

In anticipation for the Black Panther Soundtrack arriving on Friday (you can pre-order here!) TDE has released the gorgeous music video for “All The Stars” one of the singles leading up to the album. Directed by Dave Meyers & the little homies, the video has Kendrick and SZA in colorful backgrounds, African garbs and locales, and all over a beat that doesn’t let up to end. The video is an eye-popping treat from beginning to end and does justice to Africa in which the film is set.

They even have actual Black Panthers in the video, in case you forgot what the video is for.

Filed Under: Articles, Music Tagged With: Black Panther, kendrick lamar, sza

TDE Announces “The Championship Tour”

January 22, 2018 by I.S. Jones Leave a Comment

While I’m still hashing out my personal feelings about Drake, today I woke up to the exciting news that Top Dawg Entertainment has announced tour dates for a mega family outing of the label’s most supreme stars. With CTRL’s one year anniversary on the horizon this summer, it feels good to see her finally swinging with the majors. The Championship Tour features: SiR, SZA, Jay Rock, Ab-Soul, ScHoolBoy Q, and the king Kendrick Lamar

The choice of artists in the marquee is a bit questionable, however. For starters, TDE made the choice to feature Lance Skiiiwalker, one of the more quieter members of the TDE family. As he hasn’t released a project since 2016, I am curious as to what he brings to the table. The Chicago native was officially signed to TDE back in 2016, and even before joining, Skiiwalker appeared in the credits of Rapsody’s “Power“, Kendrick’s “untitled 04 | 08.14.2014“, and ScHoolBoy’s “Know Ya Thing“. Yet, TDE and Lance Skiiiwalker may surprise us with something at the last minute.

Then something I think many of us are wondering: Why isn’t Isaiah Rashad in this line?

Tickets go on sale Friday, January 26

 

***

I.S. Jones is a writer living in New York by way of California. Please send her pizza not nudes. You may also send her ONE of your best tracks (on Twitter only) and she’ll get back to you at her earliest convenience. I.S. is rooting for you. She is trying, just like the rest of us. Tweet at her here

Filed Under: Articles, News Tagged With: ab-soul, Championship Tour, January 26, jay rock, kendrick lamar, Lance Skiiiwalker, schoolboy q, sza, tde

DEHH Staff Writer Picks: Top 10 Albums Of 2017

January 16, 2018 by Michael Stover Leave a Comment

Terrence Sage (@SageTerrence)

1. DAMN. – Kendrick Lamar
2. PRETTY GIRLS LIKE TRAP MUSIC – 2 Chainz
3. AT WHAT COST – GoldLink
4. BIG FISH THEORY – Vince Staples
5. SATURATION 2 – Brockhampton
6. ALL-AMERIKKKAN BADASS – Joey Bada$$
7. 7 DAYS – Krept & Konan
8. CTRL – SZA
9. THE NEVER STORY – J.I.D
10. 4 EVA IS A MIGHTY LONG TIME – Big Krit

This year sucked but we had music to fall back on, so that counts for something right? 2017 was
filled with solid projects across the board and allowed me to get outside of my comfort zone
thanks to the projects I’m listing and beyond that. Whether you played DAMN backwards or
forwards Kendrick Lamar delivered on another solid project with visuals steadily dropping as
the year went on with all of them touching on their respective subjects profoundly. 2 Chainz,
Big Krit, and J.I.D all receptively put on for the South this year in major ways across the board.
2 Chainz made us all understand Pretty Girls Like Trap Music and with his pink trap house we
got an album that goes all around Atlanta with an energy that only Chainz can call upon. Big
Krit’s album 4eva Is a Mighty Long Time was indeed a long time coming but both volumes to
the project let it be known that Krit had a lot left to say. I was actually very late to the J.I.D hype
train but better late than never because his debut The Never Story was one of the most
promising and best debuts of the year. The rest of my entries for Albums of the Year got creative
and personal as far as the artists go, Vince Staples with Big Fish Theory challenged listeners
with his distinct take and beat that paid off well in my opinion. Saturation 2 from the Boy Band
Brockhampton was the greatest part in their trilogy of albums and with At What Cost people FINALLY started paying attention to GoldLink!

Ashley Clayton (@onlyashleecee)

1. 4:44 – Jay-Z
2. Trip – Jhene Aiko
3. DAMN – Kendrick Lamar
4. SweetSexySavage – Kehlani
5. Pretty Girls Like Trap Music -2 Chainz
6. At What Cost – Goldlink
7. 4eva is a Mighty Long Time -Big Krit
8. Queen Elizabitch – CupcakKe
9. Ctrl – SZA
10. Captain California -Murs

Honorable Mention:

More Life – Drake
Flower Boy- Tyler The Creator
Rap Album Two – Jonwayne
Rapsody Laila’s Wisdom

Let’s call 2017 what it was. The year for women in music. Yes, men were making bangers but women were the true game changers here. Not only were we given an amazing gem of a track in Bodak Yellow by Cardi B but there were amazing albums released by quite a few talented women. Cupcakke gave us Queen Elizabitch this year an album that was as sexually explicit as it was feminist. Kehlani and Jhene Aiko both gave us albums that allowed us to walk through their hurt and experience recovery from heartbreaks. Jhene’s album in particular came out when no one expected but is definitely worth every bit of attention it garnered. Furthermore, SZA gave us some of the most popular R&B tracks of the year off of her debut album Ctrl like Doves in the Wind and The Weekend.

While women were the big hitters in music last year men were still making waves with music just as emotionally stimulating and vulnerable. Jay-Z gave us the gift of 4:44 an album that allowed us to see a more emotionally mature and grown man. He allowed us to see more Shawn Carter and less Jigga. Then we have Murs and Goldlink who both released albums that I honestly didn’t expect to love but have now been played more times in my household than anything else. We definitely can’t forget about Kendrick Lamar with his critically acclaimed album DAMN. Once again K.Dot showed us why he is one of the greatest storytellers of our generation.

Hip hop in 2017 reminded us that through every dark hour there is a bit of light. Each album on my list gives an insight into the artists mind and allowed us a deeper look at who they are. As we proceed with 2018 I’m hoping that artists continue this trend of letting us into who they are and not just club bangers. Turning up is great but providing mentally stimulating music is even better.

Jake Milgate (@milfence)

1. 4:44 – JAY-Z
2. IWASVERYBAD – IDK
3. ROME – Armand Hammer
4. Rap Album Two – Jonwayne
5. Atychiphobia: The Higher High – Gracy Hopkins
6. DAMN. – Kendrick Lamar
7. 4eva is a Mighty Long Time – Big K.R.I.T.
8. Who Told You To Think??!!?!?!?! – Milo
9. Rosebudd’s Revenge – Roc Marciano
10. or more: the anxious – Mick Jenkins

Overall, this was another excellent year for hip-hop. Making my list was insanely difficult. But, somehow, I managed to trim down the insane amount of music I listened to into 10 projects. Mick Jenkins showed flashes of his vintage self and manifested it into a very eerie and moving EP/mixtape. Roc Marciano continues to provide his unique low-key, yet lavish, rhymes over relaxed pimptastic production. Milo is so goddamn poetic I could literally just listen to his voice on repeat. Fortunately there was so gorgeous production to go along with his words. Big K.R.I.T. dropped his greatest album yet. Period. Kendrick Lamar continues to surprise and bewilder me…and even with a trendier sounding album, he still absolutely kills it and provides his own unique take on it. Gracy Hopkins was the biggest surprise for me this year. Never heard of him prior to this album. This French-Canadian rapper provides unique insight into his personal self through 7 tracks all named after phobias. Very creative, and very focused. Excellent. Rap Album Two was easily the most emotional album I listened to this year. Absolutely heart-wrenching…a lot of the tracks hit home for me. He’s just as talented an MC as he is a producer. ROME is a dark, apocalyptic take on the current state of our society…and it absolutely floored me. ELUCID and Billy Woods are sharp-tongued as ever, and provide excellent, well-crafted lyrics over some very diabolical beats. IDK just keeps improving and improving every year and it’s been a thrill watching him rise to the top. This is his best work yet, lyrically and sonically. All types of sounds on this. Everyone can enjoy at least one track on here. Finally we have 4:44 by JAY-Z. I thoroughly enjoyed and replayed this album more than any hip-hop project this year…and this is coming from a guy who’s never been fond of JAY-Z. No I.D. knocked it out of the f*cking park with the production on this. But what was even more impressive was JAY-Z himself. He was much more personal than usual, and lyrically sharper than he’s been in years. He and No I.D. meshed perfectly and made a masterpiece.

I.S Jones (@isjonespoetry)

1. CTRL – SZA
2. Saturation II: Brockhampton
3. PALOMA BEACH: KOTA the friend
4. TEEN NIGHT AT THE EMPIRE: Latasha Alcindor
5. At what cost: GoldLink
6. scumfuck flower boy: Tyler, The Creator
7. Intimacy: Floreyyyyy
8. Pretty Girls Like Trap – 2 Chainz
9. DAMN: Kendrick Lamar
10. Big Fish Theory – Vince Staples


Tyler, The Creator has been banned from two different countries for his lyrics inciting violence. Feminist groups have mobilized against him, and yet I loved this album. Scum Fuck Flower boy is tender, sincere, and even a bit apologetic. It doesn’t negate the violence he’s incited between his fan base, but for a moment his actions are granted clarity. He incites violence because of his internal struggle with missed connections and unrequited love. He built a career on homophobic lyrics, perhaps, because he’s been trying to come out for years no one will believe in. This stunning, honest rebirth into Tyler’s interior landscape.

The soundtrack to my sordid love life, moments of doubt, insecurity, nostalgia, the audacity of youth is complemented with lonely electric riffs, synth beats, melancholic cymbals (in Drew Barrymore), SZA’s brilliant collection of sounds translates the story of a girl coming into her own, owning her sexual autonomy, remarking on how convoluted dating has become in the era of social media (a nod to the cover of broken electronics SZA sits in the foreground of).

My brother brought Brockampton into my life just when Saturation I dropped. After that I was hooked and tickled by their presentation: a collective of artists, which seemed to be pushing against toxic masculinity by just being themselves. How one’s music comes into the spotlight sets the tone for the rest of their career, and the All-American Boy Band from L.A. is it. Brockhampton’s confidence, irreverence, hyper beats, complimented with audacious lyrics (Why you always rap about bein’ gay? / ‘Cause not enough niggas rappin’ be gay). As a queer women, it felt good to see Kevin Abstract become accepted so quickly in a space that is dominated by the hetero-male narrative. Long life Brockhampton

Not-so-newcomer to the rap game KOTA the Friend returns from “Palm Tree Liquor” with his sophomore album “Paloma Beach”. The Brooklyn-based, California-hearted rapper made me nostalgic for those long drives down the 405. KOTA effortlessly creates a dreamy landscape against the backdrop of isolation, depression, reflection on his career thus far. What I love about KOTA the Friend is his fans and how dedicated to seeing him succeed. I hope for a long and fruitful career for this rising star.

In 2017, it was hard to have a conversation about emerging women rappers without talking about Latasha Alcindor or L.A. There is a self-assurance in effortless ability to bob and weave between whole genres of music between the tracks. Sampling darling hits like “Flava In Ya Ear”, “Heads High” and other party classics, L.A.’s lyrical dexterity is simply unmatched. Sometimes I get discouraged that as time progresses the door for women to succeed in hip-hop is getting narrow every year, but miracles in the making happen. A hard-worker such as herself is the future of this genre. Don’t sleep or you’ll miss her. She’s a comet and we should be lucky to catch her on her flight.

I think I may speak for some when I said I didn’t expect an album of this caliber from a rapper who once named himself Tity Boi. “Pretty Girls Like Trap” is a culmination of 2 Chainz’s patience and learning. From casual club bangers, music suited for yacht and velvet-roped off lounges, 2 Chainz finally grew into a rapper even non-believers want to root for. I never thought I would care about a 2 Chainz album much less have it on repeat impressed by his growth.

Undoubtedly, GoldLink is a child of the game. Originating from D.C., a region not exactly known for its impact on hip hop, the rapper doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but created his own. “Future bounce” as the emerging rapper has coined it, is like “redefining music”. Staying true to his D.C. roots of go-go music and funk, I enjoyed “At What Cost” because every track was rich and firm in its delivery. “Crew” has become my theme song if I owned a red fur coat. I’m so delighted to welcome this new rapper to the fold.

While I’m not the first person to dub the name “Sunshine Rap”, I think it’s important that joy for the sake of joy can be appreciated in hip-hop. Yes, this genre is for those who struggled and sacrifice and overcame remarkable adversity to stand on the mountaintop, but sometimes I want that bubbly tenderness of summertime when I was a teenager going to the park with my friends. Sometimes I want good vibes and a light head. Sometimes I want that from hip-hop. Anthony Floreyyyy, or just Floreyyyy, is a 18 year old living Nevada, and while I’m excited to hear more about him, I’m enjoying the music.

Vince Staples’ Big Fish Theory is what happens when a kid grew up on a diet of funk, punk rock, disco, and finally got past the so-called “Golden Age of Rap”. His music makes me nostalgic for the roller-rink nights I never experienced as a child.

Finally, what is there left to say for the giant who walks among mortals? Kendrick Lamar’s DAMN allowed us a passport into a mind at war with itself. A palindrome album (a word, poem or body of work which make sense forwards and backwards) is the style Kendrick uses to give us a glimmer into the rap’s turmoil. Despite the conflict, rage, disillusion, there are moments of love and true self-discovery. Overeager fans dub this his “worst album”, but people don’t give Kendrick space to be a deeply flawed human, which is what he is. We love Kendrick because an exceptional story-teller. He has a vision only he can see and we should be honored that he let’s us along for the ride.

 

Filed Under: Articles, Blog, Features Tagged With: 2 chainz, goldlinkidk, jayz, jonwayne, kendrick lamar, sza, tyler the creator, vince staples

The Trouble With Classic Albums…

December 2, 2017 by Jordan Leave a Comment

Hip-hop is extremely special to me, and I love it more than anything. But one thing I noticed about this genre and its listeners comparing it to other genres such as rock and r&b, is that the bar for excellence changes so much over the years. One thing that bothers me about this and with fans is that the fans are so extremely passionate about the genre, sometimes to a fault. What I mean by that is the overuse of the word “classic”. Allow me some time to explain please.

If you use any sort of social media I’m sure if you’ve seen it. An album comes out by ANY rapper on a Thursday night, and before the night is over, the fans are calling it “classic”. And boy oh boy is it troubling and down right annoying. I’ll litter a few examples in here. About a month Jaden Smith released his highly anticipated SYRE album. Solid body of work from a young kid who still has room to grow. But sure enough when it was released, hours later, the fans on Twitter were calling it a classic album. What pissed me off about this is that I hadn’t even gotten a chance to listen to the album yet. I know what you’re saying to yourself. “But JORDAN, you’re just being a hater! But JORDAN, what about instant classics?! What do YOU think is a classic?” Allow me to explain the issue with calling everything “classic”.

Image result for rap album covers

There are VERY few “instant classic” albums. Period. Let’s get that out the way. How does one define a classic? Does it define a sound, a year or even an ERA? Is it high quality music? An album with absolutely no skips? Is it about time and longevity? Is it about numbers? Is it a mixture of all of those? Well the short answer is yes. Albums such as the Wu-Tang Clan’s “36 Chambers“, Nas’ “Illmatic“, Jay-Z’s “Reasonable Doubt” and Kanye West’s “College Dropout” are held in such a high regard and are called undisputed classics because they have some sort of beautiful mixture of all of the aforementioned qualities in them.

“Okay Jordan, so what’s the problem?”

Well the problem comes when the rappers and fans sling the term around so much. The word “classic” should be reserved for art that earns it. I know I’m not anyone to be telling people what they can and can’t think is classic, but the genre begins to get watered down when everything that comes out is considered classic before we even give it a chance to breathe. Listeners don’t even bother to digest the album good before asking for more music. Rappers (most of them, anyway) work extremely hard to give us product to listen to and people should learn to love and live with an album before the slap a label on it and move on to the next work. Listeners are fans of rappers and people, such big fans that they will do anything to put that rapper on a pedestal with other top tier artists that have multiple classics under their belts. Example? Don’t mind if I do.

I am the biggest fan of Kendrick Lamar. Kendrick, Drake and others like them consistently give their fans quality albums every couple of years. But they have risen to astronomical levels of superstardom to the point where anything they drop is put on that level of “classic” because they’re so well loved and fans want one to be better than the others. Hip-hop is by far the most hyper competitive genre, period, and no other genre pits their stars against each other like rap does. Don’t even get me started with Kanye West’s stans.

Calling everything a classic is really watering down something that should be special. There is nothing wrong with appreciating an album while we have it before moving on to the next. This is why I love when rappers take their time with the music and don’t rush the product. And let’s be honest, trolling or not, nothing can be a classic before you finish listening to it. That’s silly! By the time y’all finish reading this…let me guess…”CLASSIC”.

…..Y’all are aware that this is just my opinion, right…?

Filed Under: Articles, Uncategorized Tagged With: classic, classic albums, dead end hip hop, DEHH, drake, hip-hop, jay-z, kanye west, kendrick lamar, nas, rap albums

Five Years After: Good Kid Maad City

November 7, 2017 by Terrence Sage Leave a Comment

In 2012, Kendrick Lamar released one of the most critically acclaimed albums of the past few years. Good Kid Maad City was Kendrick’s second album to the masses and it was an in depth, personal dive into a chapter of Lamar’s life that was told on the album in a nonlinear narrative. The album deals with moments from Kendrick’s life that are laid bare for us as the audience listens to the “Backseat Freestyle”, voicemails from his parents as the night grows worse and takes several turns in an almost cinematic style arc. The production, executively produced by Dr. Dre, sticks to the smooth somber moments on the pillars of rough around West Coast raps and the character arc of Lamar as the tracks progress and it was apparent Lamar had something special with GKMC. The harsh realities of Compton, California and his life shaping the story, people across the country and the world tuned in to listen too and gain some awareness about one rapper’s album detailing gun violence, women, religion, and growing up when life is moving too fast for you through twelve tracks (with more if you got the Bonuses!) The unofficial GKMC short film captures these themes, location and life of Compton beautifully and it’s pushed further and enhanced by the music for sure.

Good Kid Maad City turned five years old on October 22  and what better way to celebrate the album that threw Kendrick Lamar into the stratosphere by reflecting on it and seeing how fans feel about the album? I reached out to several fans to ask how they recall feeling about the album those five years ago and how it’s aged in their opinion.

This is taking a look back on Good Kid, M.A.A.D City.

@bolu_ay – It’s 2012 and the entire world has been raving about some guy named Kendrick, who I admit is an impressive rapper , but he just never did it for me. It was then I learnt how to appreciate music and learn to appreciate art, I finally got tired of the hype and decided to do a proper study, it’s influences, what the album was about, Kendrick’s contradictions, the story of his life to a degree. I decided to give him a chance when I hear “Bitch Don’t Kill my Vibe,” it resonated and made want to actually see what he was about and give the album another listen without overrated bias just a fascinating study on growing up in compton, what he loves about and what he hates about it, and in a small way I relate cause I am from Nigeria and that frustration with a place he loves and adores resonated with me like “Real” it’s by far my fave Kendrick song and actually made me into a huge fan, and yeah he was robbed of the Grammys in 2017. I think it’s a timeless album and is an interesting contrast to DAMN, which is more about Kendrick dealing with being famous than others.

@ajclassic – I was listening to it at work and I was very compelled by the storyline at first. “Backseat Freestyle” was the first banger and I liked it. The album reminded me of Death Certificate by Ice Cube. I mean the record he had with MC Eiht was actually over the “Bird In a Hand beat” which I liked. I remember finishing the album thinking it was pretty good. I just never felt the need to relisten like the songs were all over the radio after the album dropped and I really felt like Kendrick was inescapable. That was the biggest debut album that year and it felt like it. I thought the album was good but not this instant classic everybody said it was. I didn’t find any of the records particularly timeless and I feel like that’s what makes an album timeless.

@thirdeyesquints – Ight so basically, when GKMC dropped I was already a Kendrick fan, having been introduced to his full catalogue Christmas of 2011 when I was home from school on break, so going back down south anticipating an album had me hype because at that point the best thing I’d heard from him was Section 80 and I loved the storytelling on that one. Fast forward to a week or two before the album dropped, Heart pt. 3 comes out. Instantly became my new focus track. Then GKMC hits and I’m like…this nigga got a minivan on the cover, calling it a short film. This about to be epic or complete trash. Ended up being epic enough to take my attention away from Lupe’s Food and Liquor Vol. 2 which also dropped around that time. But yeah that album became my manifesto for the rest of that year, the tracks caught me from jump and every song was like a different piece of my own childhood. Case in point, I grew up on the edge of Compton and Watts, so every time he mentioned a location nearby my house I started thinking, this guy lived my same life just a few blocks over. And I imagine that’s the way folks over here felt when NWA dropped because it’s one thing to be a hometown hero and have a cohesive record, but when you capture the essence of growing up on the wrong side of the tracks and make it poetic, that’s when you know you’re tapped into something classic. To date I’ve only skipped through two tracks on the album after the initial drop, and that’s because I’m not a fan of new Mary J Blige and “Real” because it was the moment that pulled the story together for a close and I’m no longer listening for the narrative. People compare DAMN and TPAB to it but there’s a certain kind of hunger that freshman efforts have that you only get echoes of on the later albums. Like Backseat Freestyle was more than just a song about young K. Dot, it was the prelude to the Control verse that would mark him as the leader of his class. Every record on GKMC demands respect, even the ones I don’t care for, and I say that because I still feel guilty when I push past a record I’m not in the mood for but I still give it credence for even existing on the same album as the others. This has never been one of those albums where I feel like things should’ve been left off. Everything belongs. Everything is excellent in a way that his other records only seek to remind you of rather than standing on their own.

@RAMIMWAMBA – I think it dropped at the perfect time in my life, which is how we envision all our favourite albums doing, fresh out of high school, just started college, I think the systems are different here, so College for us, is a step before University. The album really hit home for me, it solidified the notion that Kendrick is for you Rami, the concept of deep down being a “good kid” and the environment and people around you influencing your actions, I wasn’t gang banging at aaaall, but Art of Peer Pressure can relate to any shy black boy who wanted to be like his cousins. I’d spent the year prior getting to know Kendrick, listening to mixtapes, freestyles, singles, anything! I was pestering my friends about Section.80, showing Rigamortis to anybody who’d lend an ear or two, so when the album came I was ready to be disappointed, when you build things up like that that’s often the case. Lupe Fiasco was my “fave” but Lasers was Lasers, Eminem’s novelty had worn off and Drake got too much pussy for me to ever relate. So when I pressed play on my Blackberry on the album I’d illegally downloaded on my way home (I’ve bought every Kendrick project since) and you hear that tape being injected and the sound system gearing up, along with the group prayer, I sighed the biggest sigh of relief, I don’t know why, but I was just so happy, to feel/hear that atmospheric sound, the imagery, sense of time and place, it was ballsy of him to go concept, when everyone was expecting him to go pop. To me, the music was out of this world, he married lyrical potency, storytelling and mainstream rap sensibilities perfectly, he really kept a balance on that album, and I was so surprised, it was unheard of for me at that point, didn’t listen to anything else until the end of my first year in college. I knew it was a classic, I likened it to the Illmatic of my era, the one album I’ll always be mentioning to people younger than me when I’m describing the millennial era as rap’s golden age, it’s essential listening. Present time, my views are just as strong, and I’d defend that album to the end of time. It’s such a moment in time for me, so many memories and friendships have been made from songs on that album and that artists, it’s amazing to see what he’s become, so clinical in his movements, militant almost, meticulous with his artistry, and everything was more or less there in that album. He got a fan for life with that album.

@John_Noire –  “To understand the importance of good kid, m.A.A.d city, you have to understand its context. My first introduction to Kendrick Lamar was Overly Dedicated. From the breath-taking lyricism of “The Heart Part 2” to the ingenious imagery of “Heaven & Hell”, Kendrick’s talent was self-evident. Not since Lupe had I witnessed an emcee of Kendrick’s calibre. But there was a question that remained over his head until his major-label debut: Could he deliver? Any child of the blog era will remember the million emcees we championed as ‘the one’: the one to deliver the classic album, the one to bring balance to hip-hop. So many had tried, so many had failed. Whether it was of their own doing or by label intervention, it seemed that mainstream rap was doomed to mediocrity. Therefore, Kendrick became our last hope. Every step he made was on a high wire we were familiar with, we just prayed that he would be the first one to make it to the other end.

Fast forward to October 22nd, 2012. Everything Kendrick had done till then made me believe the hype: Section.80, “Buried Alive”, King of the West Coast. Kendrick could do no wrong and this was the moment of truth. The first time I listened to good kid, m.A.A.d city was in alphabetical order. Initially, I was worried but it wasn’t until I heard “m.A.A.d city” and “Sing About Me” that I realized Kendrick had done it. He had delivered the first classic album of our generation. For me, a classic album has to do one of two things: represent the best of the genre or innovate it. good kid, m.A.A.d city did both. Since its release, good kid, m.A.A.d city has impacted hip-hop in the following ways: (i) Set the blueprint for artists to be themselves and avoid the trappings of major-label compromise (ii) Gave a platform for more lyricism and social consciousness in the mainstream (iii) Reintroduced the importance of concept albums and storytelling (iv) Started a West Coast Renaissance that is showing no signs of slowing down. When I was growing up, I would hear all these stories about how amazing Biggie and Nas were on their come-up. How you just had to be there to see it. How it would never happen again. Kendrick Lamar is my chance to watch greatness develop in real time and good kid, m.A.A.d city was the beginning of that journey. Five years later, that hasn’t changed. I’m just happy I now have the opportunity to talk about it.

@incognegroi – People out here were extremely happy for him & it was a pivotal time for the city but I feel like people had mixed emotions about it despite him becoming successful. Like he was one of those artists that would lose sentiment because outside culture & mainstream America would fetishize him. Especially with the success of his second album I believe America crowned him a sweetheart rather than incriminate him which usually means he’s become disconnected from the city. If you look in those crowds from OD to Damn, periodically the crowds have a lot more snow in them you feel me? And at that point that’s when you know it’s less about the culture and more about him being a “star”. It was a dope album probably the truest and closest part to Kendrick Lamar we’ll ever get again. We’ll never get K Dot again just because when you in the hood you see things for what it really is, but when you on the road and working you lose the sentiment.

@OhiniJonez – Good kid Maad city dropped, changed the world around me, and I didn’t give an iota of a fuck. Not that I didn’t appreciate Kendrick’s skill and content, I just didn’t have a love for the music anymore. 20 hour days producing, recording, mixing and writing made any music I heard outside of my bubble feel like ‘meh’… and there was probably someone like me somewhere when Illmatic dropped too.

I didn’t really understand the album until I started seeing its impact. 2012 was an interesting year, a time when the love children of Weezy, Yeezy, and Based God roamed the Earth; Kendrick slapped all that in the face. While the stylistic choices didn’t go, I noticed there being more effort in flows, more effort in content and all roads pointed to Good kid Maad city. As a child of the first Kanye renaissance of the culture, I became instantly aware of the all important event I hadn’t noticed. This was the first classic of the new decade, the first album to have an impact beyond sales. I saw kids of all identities, nationalities and backgrounds truly resonate with something. What was merely a great album to me was life affirming and life changing for a whole generation of hip hop listeners. Good kid Maad city was a teaching moment as well; once it was compared to albums like Illmatic, Ready To Die, It Takes a Nation…, and AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted one could see folks born well after these albums were released debating the comparisons. I don’t care if they were right or wrong, a generation listened to Illmatic to find common ground between their father’s CD collection and their iTunes library. I found common ground between my father’s love of Gil Scott Heron and Kendrick’s own harrowing narratives of merely existing in Compton

Aight, this brings me to my last point. In an era of super hippies, super thugs, and over exaggerated personalities Kendrick released an album that celebrated being a regular nigga in surreal circumstances. The stories aren’t told from the perspective of the bystander, or the perpetrator. They are told from the perspective of the nigga in the backseat who got caught up in some crazy situations. He wasn’t a super player, he was a high school kid trying to balance getting laid and bringing his momma’s van home. What made this album a classic was the universal appeal of Kendrick Lamar as a human, and not a character.

@LILETHBASEDLORD – I remember when I first heard Swimming Pools (Drank) and thinking how good it was at that time and I used to play it a lot until the radio basically killed it, same for Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe, especially the remix with Jay-Z. When I finally heard the whole album, I remember basically loving everything from Master Splinter’s Daughter to Sing About Me, Dying Of Thirst and not really caring for the rest. Nowadays, I actually like the singles all over again, not to entirely Swimming Pools anymore. Bitch, Don’t kill My Vibe actually aging pretty good. M.a.a.d City isn’t really in my opinion. Sing About Me, Dying Of Thirst is still the best song on the album to me. After two more studio albums from Kendrick and acknowledging Section .80 as an album, I’d rank GKMC at number 4 honestly.

Good Kid, Maad City gave an even bigger spotlight to the kid from Compton and the world was forever changed because of it. A story of love, death, rebirth, and finding yourself even in the worst of circumstances is the story of younger Kendrick on the album. Here we are five years later still listening, still reflecting, and going back to see why we think this album is so great in the first place. I want to give a big THANK YOU! to everyone that gave their words to this piece and to everyone out there that’s reading it.

 

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: kendrick lamar

Rich The Kid: “New Freezer” (feat Kendrick Lamar)

September 28, 2017 by Jake Milgate Leave a Comment

Atlanta trapper, Rich The Kid, has released a new single featuring Kendrick Lamar entitled, “New Freezer”. A while back, a picture surfaced on the internet of the two in the studio together. This, of course, had everyone anticipating a collaboration. Some thought the collab would appear on Kendrick’s album, however, DAMN. dropped without a feature from Rich The Kid. Now, we have the actual collaboration…and it’s not bad.

The beat is simple…but slaps. Kendrick Lamar, like usual, delivers a great verse, and uses a really interesting flow that gives the song some extra life. Check it out for yourself below.

Filed Under: Blog, Music Tagged With: collaboration, kendrick lamar, New Freezer, Rich The Kid

Boogey – “FEEL” Freestyle

August 3, 2017 by Donnie Leave a Comment

Boogey

Boogey takes on the instrumental of “Feel” from Kendrick Lamar’s “DAMN.” album and delivers a detailed and very honest expression, in this heartfelt message to the fans and the music industry.

 

Audiomack Download: HERE

Boogey online: Twitter | Soundcloud

Filed Under: Blog, Music Tagged With: boogey, feel, kendrick lamar

Chase N. Cashe: Kendrick Lamar “Be Humble” (Kung Fu Kenny Remix)

July 27, 2017 by Michael Stover Leave a Comment

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A couple of the key pieces that built the foundation of hip-hop, I feel are missing these days (or maybe not getting the shine they deserve is better phrasing). That’s actual deejaying and the art of the remix. Chase N. Cashe who was recently featured on Mass Appeal’s “Rhythm Roulette” is getting set to release his remix album “The Produce Section”. I’m usually weary of remixes because these days cats just slap a trap beat on it and call it a remix. Chase N Cashe brings his own unique sound and flavor and it shines in the first single…a remix to King Kendrick’s “Humble”.

Again, I was weary when I first saw this because that’s a tall task to take such a great song and flip it. But Chase N. Cashe pulls it off flawlessly. Don’t take my word for it, you can peep Chase N Cashe’s “Be Humble” (Kung Fu Kenny Remix) below. “The Produce Section” doesn’t have a release date yet make sure you keep it locked on Dead End Hip Hop for details. Also if you haven’t seen it you can check Chase N. Cashe’s “Rhythm Roulette” episode below too.

Filed Under: Blog, Music Tagged With: chase n cashe, kendrick lamar

DEHH Staff Writer Picks: Top 10 Albums of 2017…so far.

July 12, 2017 by Michael Stover Leave a Comment

drake more life
Bobby Brusberg

Let me start off by saying I have very particular tastes in music and I do not like that about myself. I’m someone who doesn’t always listen to the newest tunes, but my New Year’s Resolution was to give mainstream artists more of my time, so my list is a mix of names both well-known and underground. My favorite album of the year so far would have to be Ears Hear Spears by Insight The Truncator and Damu The Fudgemnuk. This album applies the sample-heavy sounds of early hip-hop while critiquing recent social issues, which have been a problem longer than most people think. It’s “old-school” to say the least. An equally sample-heavy album is Apocalyptic Bastard by Darko The Super. Darko is probably my favorite current artist, and although his music will repel the general population, I deeply admire his honest lyrics and wild manipulation of samples for his own devious purposes. He’s pure punk. Roc Marciano’s Rosebudd’s Revenge illustrative lyrics paint a rough and luxurious picture, like a Mona Lisa made of bullets. And the beats! They’re somehow simultaneously icy and hot. I haven’t heard too much about Oddisee, but The Iceberg was seriously some great music, whether you like hip-hop or not. His is a sound that anyone could be in to. The World Is MIND by KRS-One makes my list, partially due to the beats. I still love KRS-One’s verses, but the production on this album was for lack of a better term “hard.” It was hard, everybody. If I’m allowed to include SZA’s Ctrl, I’ll gladly leave it here. I don’t usually ingest a lot of R&B, but this album ignited some feelings I didn’t know I had. I thought I would feel pressured to include DAMN. by Kendrick Lamar because most people would be expecting it, but I think it’s a deserving album and I enjoyed it. And the videos for “DNA.” and “HUMBLE.” were a bonus! Darko The Super and ears hear spearsialive comprise a duo called The Hell Hole Store, and their recent album Return To The Hell Hole Store is so very solid. The back and forth lyrics of the duo is very natural for a group specializing is atypical and unique wordplay and sound. Another immersive project on my list is No More Favors by Tek.Lun and DrewsThatDude, and it’s a diverse instrumental album that I feel truly has something for everyone, especially if you like to drive at night. Number 10 is ALL-AMERIKKKAN BADA$$. I’m not sure why I like this as much as I did, and I think the dollar signs and title are a little korny. I think many artists cover the topics Joey Bada$$ does on this album and they do it well, but something about his delivery was engaging to me. So there are my top 10 favorite hip-hop albums of 2017 so far, and Ctrl, as I guess it’s not really a hip-hop album. This list might be wildly different come the end of the year, but these are currently my 10 favorites.

1. “Ears Hear Spears” by Insight The Truncator and Damu The Fudgemunk
2. “Apocalyptic Bastard” by Darko The Super
3. “Rosebudd’s Revenge” by Roc Marciano
4. “The Iceberg” by Oddisee
5. “The World Is MIND” by KRS-One
6. “Ctrl” by SZA
7. DAMN.” by Kendrick Lamar
8. “Return To The Hell Hole Store” by The Hell Hole Store
9. “No More Favors” by Tek.Lun and DrewsThatDude
10. “ALL-AMERIKKKAN BADA$$” by Joey Bada$$


Donnie Skillz

It has been an interesting 1st half of 2017 I tell you. A slew of incredible projects already dropped and the rest of the year is looking solid from what I can see here. My pick is a mix bag of rap/RnB/Funk. Some of the names here are pretty obvious and shouldn’t surprise anyone. Lupe’s DROGAS light-despite not being as consistent as Tetsuo it still oddiyeehits the mark because Lupe can rap his ass off regardless. Thunder Cat is highly recommended-I cant say much but just go cop it. Rick Ross’ RYTM got me surprised- it is actually DOPE regardless of what you think of Rozay. Oddisee’s  is pretty much critically acclaimed at press time so check it out if you haven’t. In usual fashion I had to pick 3 from my underground stash. Westside Gunn comes through with the heavy “Hitler On Steroids“, Saga & Thelonious Monk flip things up with their collabo project “Molotov” while Wille The Kid (he is so underrated, it makes me cry) hits the 3 point shot with the grainy “Deutsche Marks“. Obvious ones are SZA’s sensual CTRL and K Dot’s “DAMN”

1 Oddisee – The Iceberg
2 Thundercat Drunk
3 WestSide Gunn – Hitler On Steroids
4 SZA – CTRL
5 Kendrick Lamar- DAMN
6 Rick Ross – Rather You Than Me
7 Saga & Thelonious Monk: Molotov
8 Joey Bada$$$ – All american badass
9 Lupe- DROGAS Light
10 Willie The Kid – Deutsche Marks

Honorable Mentions: Raekwon “The Wild”, Syd “Fin”

Terrence Sage

2017 for music so far has been STACKED with projects. I had to go back and listen to everything to see what I forgot about and what I missed. One of my favorite rappers King Kendrick Lamar gave us a surprise hit with DAMN. GoldLink gave the DMV even more reason to stand up and get the rest of us hip to issues and their way of life with At What Cost. 2 Chainz proved he’s still got it and takes us on a journey with Pretty Girls Like Trap Music (I even kendrick-lamar-damn-coverreviewed it!) and we saw Joey Bada$$ release a politically charged album that’s exactly what 2017 needed called All-Amerikkkan Badass. Steve Lacy, SZA, and Khalid all had me feeling some kind of way on the emotional spectrum with their releases…ranging from sadness, cool, non-existential relationship woes and wanting to go on a road trip with friends and forgetting about life for a second. The three biggest more polarizing releases this year would fall to Vince Staple’s Big Fish Theory, Thundercat’s Drunk, and Young Thug’s Easy Breezy Beautiful Thugger Girls. These three albums play with what your use to from the rapper and producer and while they may turn people off, I found the two albums confident approaches and evolutions of their discography. These are some of the best albums of 2017, so far in a nutshell to me.

1. Kendrick Lamar- DAMN
2. 2 Chainz- Pretty Girls Like Trap Music
3. GoldLink- At What Cost
4. Joey Bada$$- All-Amerikkkan Badass
5. SZA- CTRL
6. Khalid- American Teen
7. Vince Staples- Big Fish Theory
8. Young Thug- EBBTG
9. Thundercat- Drunk
10. Steve Lacy- Steve Lacy’s Demo

Ashley Clayton

The first 6 months of 2017 has been crazy for hip hop and R&B. It’s usually a hard hitting year for one or the other but rarely both. Somehow 2017 has managed to allow both genres to flourish and let me just say that we have truly been blessed. Kehlani and Jidenna finally released their debut albums and it was everything we never knew we needed. Kehlani’s album SweetSexySavage in particular definitely lived up to all the hype it was getting. Mixing in soulful 90’s R&B with a smooth millennial twist SweetSexySavage is easily my favorite body of work so far this year and the most played album in my lineup. I even have mini solo karaoke parties where I specifically sing this album at the top of my ssslungs but that’s unimportant. What is important is that this album deserves to be on everyone’s top list. Along with Kehlani we received another debut R&B album coming from Khalid with American Teen that was equally as impressive as it was enjoyable. Location is the biggest hit off the record currently but I foresee many more tracks being highlighted as the year progresses.

Now, what would a top ten list be without anyone mentioning Kendrick Lamar and DAMN though? Basically a terrible top ten list. Everything Kendrick drops is gold and DAMN is no different. It’s the highest selling album so far this year and that honestly shouldn’t be surprising. Storytelling has always been Kendrick Lamar’s greatest gift to hip hop and the imagery that DAMN paints through each track is worth a listen over and over again.

One of my favorite and most surprising guilty pleasures so far has been Queen Elizabitch by CupcakKe and if I didn’t list her in my top 10I wouldn’t forgive myself. Reminiscent of an old Lil Kim or Nicki Minaj (back when she used to really spit) CupcakKe definitely laced her tracks with sensuality and a lyrical prowess that will continue to keep her name in your mouth especially if she isn’t in it yet. If you don’t believe me just listen to “Cumshot” and you’ll understand why she deserves every bit of recognition I’m giving her.

This list was not easy to make (which it never really is). Each one of the albums I have listed has a crazy amount of replay value. I honestly can’t tell you how many times I’ve listened to Thundercat’s Drunk or Pretty Girls Like Trap Music by 2 Chainz. If the first 6 months are any indication for how the rest of the year is going to go than it’s going to be LIT!

1. Kehlani – SweetSexySavage
2. Thundercat – Drunk
3. Kendrick Lamar – DAMN
4. Dj Khaled – Grateful
5. 2 Chainz – Pretty Girls Like Trap Music
6. Kintaro – Universal EP
7. Jonwayne – Rap Album Two
8. CupcakKe – Queen Elizabitch
9. Jidenna – The Chief
10.Khalid – American Teen

Honorable Mention:
SZA – CTRL
Logic- Everybody
Murs – Captain California

Itola Jones

2017 felt like the year of sleeper hits. At the tail end of my top 10 is Vince Staples with BIG FISH THEORY. The young rapper who has been fed a diet of R&B, Soul, Funk, and other fusions of music to bring us his sophomore album. Much like the title suggests, the album allows its listeners to peer into a fishbowl lense of the rap game: the toxic behavior it can breed while also celebrating the new life rap stardom can give an emerging artist. At 9, we have Raekwon with THE WILD. The seasoned Wu-Tang member returns to us again with a packed house of 808 synths, ctrlhigh-hats, & that classic boom bap with a spin all his own. Syd makes perfect sex music, and that’s not up for debate. In her breakout album, Fin, Syd the Kid bring us a confident, cool new voice to R&B. Even from the first track, “Shake Em Off”, Syd establishes herself as the boss, “Young star in the making/Swear they sleeping on me”. What I love about this album is Syd knows exactly who she is. Now she is waiting for you to recognize game or get left behind. I couldn’t be any more grateful to for Joey Bada$$ sophomore album “ALL AMERIKKKAN BADA$$”. While many artists can come off as heavy-handed with overtly political content, The Badmon’s approach is more earnest, only further compliment by a solid production, which pulls both 80’s and 90’s flavored beats, smooth bass guitars, and disjointed piano riffs. Thundercat’s DRUNK speaks to the weird black kid in me before I became a hip-hop head. Thundercat is as much weird as he is soulful, an oddball with strange but powerful command of the lyrical. As a cool falsetto, and artist whose work has looked death in the eye time and time again, Drunk is not only a return to live but how to negotiate the normalcy of it. I was surprised Jay-Z’s 4:44 made the list. At this point in his career, and several alleged retirements from the game, I didn’t think Jay-Z had anything left to rap about. I was right. This isn’t a Jay-Z album, but rather Sean Carter’s first album. From the beginning the rapper kills his ego and lays down that ego which has driven much of his career. I didn’t expect these startling turns in this album, especially the knock-out cameo from his mother Gloria Carter. I knew DAMN had to make my list. At number 4, DAMN is the first of its kind, a palindrome album— an album that is two different albums played back and forth. DAMN is currently the highest selling and streaming album of 2017 . In my top 3, all women and all newcomers to music take their rightful places. Sabrina Claudio’s CONFIDENTLY LOST is sexy, vulnerable, and honest. Claudio’s sound is a miasma of nostalgia while still looking forward. Kelhani’s “SweetSexySavage” is the “The Bad Bitch Gospel” album. Kelhani effortlessly blend irreverent youth and confidence with vulnerability and sensuality to address all the personal and professional hurdles Kelhani has endured to make it here. Kelhani just isnt’t here to play games and god bless. At number 1, is CTRL by SZA.

16-22-year-old me waited a very long time for CTRL to come into the world. I have never listened to an album in which I felt so seen and understood. From starling confessions (“I’ve been secretly banging your homeboy”) more tender remarks (“I can’t be that easy to forget like that”) and even these brief churches of lyrics (“Lie to me and tell me my booty gettin’ bigger even if it ain’t”), SZA maturity, foresight, and ability to reflect back to the girls she has been—the girl who revenge fucks her ex’s friends, the “side-chick”, the girl who validates herself by how much attention she gets— is a testament to how much the young artist has grown and how much she still has to offer.

1. CTRL: SZA
2. Kelhani: SweetSexy Savage
3. Sabrina Claudio: Confidently Lost
4. DAMN: Kendrick Lamar
5. 4:44: Jay-Z
6. Drunk: Thundercat
7. ALL AMERIKKKAN BADA$$: Joey Bada$$
8. Fin: Syd
9. Raekwon: The Wild
10. Vince Staples: Big Fish Theory

Filed Under: Articles, Blog, Features Tagged With: chance the rapper, damu, dehh staff writer picks, drake, joey badass, kehlani, kendrick lamar, khalid, oddisee, sza, thundercat

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