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(12/18/14 9:01pm)
J. Cole – 2014 Forest Hills Drive
Released: December 9, 2014
Rating: 6/7
2014 Forest Hills Drive is J. Cole’s third album, which includes thirteen tracks, and most surprisingly, no featured artists. The album title comes from the address of Cole’s adolescent home in North Carolina, the home where he first started rapping. He and his mother lived in the house before Cole went off to New York to begin his rap career. While he was away focusing on his career, the home was foreclosed on while his mother was still residing there. Cole promised himself that he would buy the house back when he had made it, and sure enough he bought it back earlier this year.
The album was highly anticipated due to the hype that had been created. J. Cole was popping into fans’ homes, and letting them listen to the album beginning to end, as well as holding a “sweepstakes,” for lack of a better word, that allowed fans to enter to win a trip to his childhood home in North Carolina, and attend a listening party prior to the release with J. Cole himself. ..I, myself entered, but did not win, unfortunately.
The only reason I feel this album should not release seven stars is because I know what kind of song J. Cole is capable of when he includes feature artists. His sophomore album, Born Sinner was very feature heavy, and wildly successful despite dropping it on the same day as Kanye West’s Yeezus. In my opinion, almost every track on Born Sinner was golden, and although with 2014 Forest Hills Drive has several amazing tracks, but it is not near as iconic as his previous album that is star-studded with features.
Some tracks to definitely give a listen to are “Wet Dreamz,” “No Role Modelz,” “Apparently,” and “Love Yourz.” The album in it's entirety is intentionally very personal, and I am assuming the reason he neglected the use of features. These particular tracks are some of the most personal, story-like tracks off of the album. “Apparently” is the single for the album, and the only track that has a video so far that released shortly after the album. Speaking of singles, Cole did not release any singles before releasing the entire album on the ninth. However, the album did leak about a week early, unfortunately.
The album ends with a nearly fifteen-minute track that is titled, “Note To Self.” Cole refers to this as the “credits” for the album. This album was slightly rushed to be finished and out by 2014, which was very important to J. Cole. He explained that, “he did not have time to turn his thank you’s for the album art, so he takes time in the final track to verbally thank every person who worked on the album, inspired him, etc. I felt that this was the perfect way to wrap such a personal album; as a listener you can really feel how close this music is to Cole’s heart. Overall, the album stays true to the artist, and is definitely worth jamming to; I have not stopped since the moment it dropped.
(04/05/14 8:54pm)
3/7
Girl is only Pharrell’s second solo album, which I found surprising. Personally, I would consider myself a fan, but more so of his producing and features. Pharrell is undeniably legendary, iconic and influential. However, this album for me did not impress me, at least to the caliber that I expected. Since Pharrell is so remarkable in the music industry, I expected nothing short of a masterpiece when I heard that Girl was dropping.
I believe that Girl deserves such a poor rating partly because of the great expectations I had for it; especially after featuring in earlier top hits like “Blurred Lines” and “Get Lucky.” The album is just not my cup of tea on top of that. His hit single, “Happy” is honestly what makes this album. “Happy” was featured in the huge children’s film Despicable Me 2. That was just the start if this incredible hit; he song was not only a chart-topping favorite, but a movement, a Youtube famous music video. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6Sxv-sUYtM). The song was a hit on social media, being tweeted about daily and people loved to wake up to it and get their day started. The tune is the catchiest I have heard in a while and many people can’t change the station when this song is playing.
Other tracks I loved were “Brand New” featuring Justin Timberlake – anything Justin touches is gold, and “Lost Queen” – great melody, chorus, foot-tapping beat, overall a great track. Both are worth a good listen if at all interested in Pharrell’s work.
However, the entire album sounds the same. Its disco-like feel is fun at first, but then quickly becomes monotonous. It feels old, something we have heard before. When people listen to music nowadays, they want something different, they want something that will change the game, especially when it comes to hip-hop, rap and R&B. With the exception of “Happy,” the entire album is about the same pace and doesn’t deserve more than a few listens. In fact, while listening to the album, it feels like you were listening to just one long song instead of an entire record. There are no slower-paced tracks or more faster-paced tracks ones--it is all pretty consistent. While consistency is not a bad thing in an album, Girl is too much. A listener should not feel like their listening to one big track for an entire album. think Pharrell is capable of so much greater, and I feel that other fans were hoping for the same.
For those who liked the album – check out N.E.R.D albums and all Pharrell features, and even give Tyler, the Creator’s Wolf a listen.
(03/31/14 6:16am)
ScHoolboy Q – Oxymoron
6/7
Oxymoron is ScHoolboy Q’s third studio album, but his first major album release under Top Dawg Entertainment and Interscope Records.
The album consists of 15 tracks and includes several crucial features that add an extra “oomph” to the album, making it that much more monumental. Kendrick Lamar, being Q’s big brother and mentor and head of TDE, is featured on one of the album’s hit singles, “Collard Greens.” The track’s hook and beat is undeniably catchy, and every listener cannot help but bob their head to this song. The track gives off an overall fun vibe; a song you want to party to. Since the album dropped on Feb. 25, “Collard Greens” has been blasted at the house parties and fraternities at IU.
The entire album was highly anticipated by not only ScHoolboy Q fans, but fans of TDE and Kendrick Lamar. As for myself, I was excited for the album, but not as excited as I was for Kid Cudi’s (whose album Satellite Flight surprise released the same day). Cudi ended up holding the number one spot on iTunes for the entire week, however I would have to say that Oxymoron is the better album. The features and singles are not only crazy talented lyrically speaking, but they are hits among the hip-hop world and college party scene; this is something Oxymoron was able to achieve that Satellite Flight could not.
ScHoolboy Q also features two other huge rap artists on two later tracks in the album, 2 Chainz on “What They Want” and Tyler, the Creator on “the Purge.” These tracks were not singles, but are favorites among listeners because of the slower, contagious beat, and obviously the amazing feature artists.
The second party anthem of this season would be “Man Of The Year.” This track picks the later half of the album back up with a wilder vibe. The middle of the album is a bit slower and darker, but a great listen nonetheless. “Man Of The Year” is another one of Q’s singles on Oxymoron, and it is easy to hear why. This song is popular among the male fan base with its chorus, “Shake it for the man of the year,” but a girl can definitely jam to it as well.
Oxymoron is filled with hits and lyrically fantastic from start to finish. Highly recommended for Kendrick, Danny Brown, or A$AP Mob fans – a very similar style, but unique in its own way as well. It's worth a listen, especially now that Q has been announced as this year's Little 500 concert by Union Board.
(03/13/14 4:06am)
Released: 2/25/2014
5/7
Satellite Flight was released as an EP in order to give fans a little taste of what is to come before Man on the Moon III is released in 2015. Scott Mescudi produced the entirety of the album, including its ten tracks and its album art.
“Satellite Flight” was released three months the rest of the EP and from reactions on social media, it seemed that fans were pleased with the single and were definitely eager to hear the rest of the album. There were tweets and blog posts throughout January and February wondering when the EP would drop, and expressing their positive opinions on the single. Die-hard fans (like myself) were expecting an album similar to WZRD – which like Satellite Flight is a shorter album. Released in 2012, WZRD had about two decent tracks; the rest was extremely poor and can easily be considered Cudi’s worst work. Due to its length and the way Cudi was promoting it, I had a feeling that it was going to be WZRD quality work. Satellite Flight and WZRD definitely have a different sound than the rest of his music, but Satellite Flight showcases Cudi in a much better light. His current fans love it and he has regained old fans; and also added some new members to the “Cud Fam.”
Satellite Flight took me about four or five days to warm up to. The album frequently employs heavy instrumental, making the songs seem monotonous and almost boring. However, when listening to the album from start to finish, the four vocal-less tracks truly set a tone for the track list, and prepare the listeners for MOTM III.
New Cudi favorites have been brought to light on Satellite Flight. Listeners will easily fall in love with the vocal/rapping tracks.
First off, “Balmain Jeans” is unexpected and veers off from the music that fans expect from Kid Cudi. He is not one to bring much sexuality into his music, but this song is highly sexualized, and fans are obsessed. Complex Magazine discussed the shocking track, and how it put Cudi on the map when it came to gaining newer fans – especially female. In addition, this is the only track that features a guest, Raphael Saadiq – who’s high pitched “woos” set the track off.
The single “Satellite Flight” is more Man on the Moon-esque. By releasing this track early, Cudi brought back several older fans that became disillusioned with the artist after WZRD and last year’s album Indicud. The title of the track and EP, as well as the album art catch the Man on the Moon Cudi fan’s attention much more than newer music he has recently released. He is still making music he wants to make and is completely independent, but he is also rebuilding his huge fan base.
Cud has rapped a lot less in the past two albums, and continues the trend on this EP “Balmain Jeans” has more of an R&B feel, but has zero raps featured. The two tracks that immediately follow “Balmain Jeans” - “Too Bad I Have To Destroy You Now” and “Internal Bleeding” help make this album five star worthy. They feature more rapping and have a heavier hip-hop feel, all while staying true and unique to Kid Cudi.
Satellite Flight is not for every hip-hop lover, but definitely worth the listen. The vocal tracks are undeniably powerful to any listener.