Hip Hop Creme: January 2020

31 January, 2020

Lil Wayne — Funeral

Bloated, devoid of the general theme assumed by the title or of any lyrical depth, this Lil' Wayne album features few highs and many lows, several bad hooks and too many fillers.

The first hip hop album follows in the wake of the first rap hit, "Rapper's Delight" (props to Grandmaster Caz for the lyrics), both signed by Sugarhill Gang. The project consists of simple lyrics rarely delivered in rapping and mainly singing on ballad or light funky rhythms: it has too many useless and exhausting disco music and R&B fillers — "Rapper's Reprise" is quite decent, always too long, in its light funky — ending up being overall inconsistent: ironically, "Rapper's Delight" is reduced from the original quarter of an hour to less than five minutes, ending up being the shortest cut of the disc.

A soundcloud rapper who, unlike all the others, I personally have never heard fortunately, he comes out with his latest badly-made pop rap album, which only makes Columbia happy (it's a great commercial success destined for platinum) along with some critics who have perverse tastes: the album is slow and poor, it presents a lukewarm production composed of generic trap rhythms that all sound the same, horrible lyrics dropped by a mediocre dude, some lines with autotune, some sung hook and a bland and boring delivery. Easily among the worst products of the year. 3/10.

30 January, 2020

Cookin' Soul — Remixes Vol. 1

Remix tape by Cookin Soul, first of the official releases by this producer. Intro, then splendid jazzy collage tribute to Nas. The first real cut is a beautiful homage to Big L, with an amazing remix of "Flamboyant": jazzy rhythm that wraps the powerful and driving delivery of Big L, the Brooklyn MC delivers with rough and smooth flow, the beat keeps a sort of velvet circle that allows him to flow more adequately, helped by a simply fantastic female sample.

Freeway — Streetz Is Mine

It seems that Freeway has a deal to release a record with RBC Records and wants to get out of it in the last moments, which isn't enough to prevent the label from releasing the album in late 2009. A reinforced dozen tracks, just over three quarters of an hour of listening. Production credits are unknown: it looks like 9th Wonder did the beat for "Rap Money" and it's one of his worst productions ever, while the few guests are Tom Hardy and State Property rappers Beanie Sigel and Young Chris. An out of shape Freeway finds himself into an economic, simplistic, bouncy and annoying jazzy soundscape, because he performs better when his thug and brag themes meet music with soulful vibes, in order to facilitate and favor the typical power of its execution, thing that here never happen due to generic rhythms all quite unfit with the style shown by the Philly MC throughout his decade-long career. To note the poor beat of "Make a Move", which doesn't support his delivery, here less aggressive than usual, and "Transporter", which presents a tense, very dark, Jamesbondian track. In conclusion, there is no memorable track in this product that resembles a mixtape and goes straight into oblivion. 5/10.

26 January, 2020

Statik Selektah & Nasty Nas — The Prophecy Vol. 2: The Beginning of the N

Tribute mixtape to Nas realized by Statik Selektah, who entirely manages the mixing and the production of this great tape, composed by 27 tracks for 76 minutes of material. Along with Nasir Jones, the perfomers are Lauryn Hill, AZ, Jay-Z, Kool G Rap, Jadakiss, Busta Rhymes, Dr. Dre, Termanology, Game, Hi-Tek, Papoose, Kanye West e Common.

Raekwon — Dope on the Table EP

First EP released by Raekwon the Chef in collaboration with producer Andrew Keller, who has already produced for Dipset and practically co-produced more than half of the Wu-Tang Clan's "Chamber Music". It's released incomplete, with seven tracks and twenty-six minutes of material. There's a pleasant, melodic, accessible production, boom bap with solid samples and a good drum, as well as a well-chosen guest selection. Big L, M.O.P., Kool G Rap, The Notorious B.I.G., Ghostface Killah, Sean Price, Pusha T, Littles, Fabolous and Big Boi participate. All five boroughs of New York are represented, which is never to be taken for granted, especially in such a short extended play. There's la crème de la crème, here you find some of the best performers trading gangster bars alongside Lex Diamonds. Sure, you might be surprised that the tracks aren't all instant hits or that "Bricks" has a markedly worse rhythm than the original featured in "Fishcale", but these are subtleties for choosy aesthetes. It's worth noting the title that pays homage to Burrell, the cover instead is less good. In any case, it's one of the best releases in Shallah Raekwon's discography.

24 January, 2020

Cookin Soul — Whateva Vol. 1 [mixtape]

One of the strongest tapes of Cookin Soul. It starts with "Luvinu": light jazzy vibes with skit, then rhythmic boom bap with soul male sample looped in background over a jazzy vivid production. Then another skit to close the intro, with a [right] homage to Kelly Kapowski, character from the teen show "Saved by the Bell".

Girl Talk & Freeway — Broken Ankles EP

Good Freeway EP supervised by Girl Talk production. After the introductory skit, which presents a very heavy and tense jazzy rhythm, Waka Flocka Flame makes his entrance on an equally heavy, tight, partially unfit rhythm with the aggressive delivery of Freeway. Young Chris is the second guest of the project, he plays well with his technical flow over a tight jazzy beat, which sees in the counterpoint a trivial hook almost annoying (same result with the too tight looped R&B-pop sample). Last guest Jadakiss, on an excellent rhythmic, tight and essential jazzy production that enhances his smoothness and technical delivery. Freeway is unleashed on the change of beat. Two excellent solo choices by Freeway close this solid project. 6.7/10.

21 January, 2020

Freeway — Black Santa EP

Xmas record that suffers, suffers a lot. Beats never guessed, functional hooks, guests picked up by force from State Property, never fit. Tek (of Smif-n-Wessun) is doing well. Freeway delivers raw and aggressive, but when he seems to be able to reach and save the disk, this is already gone, lost.

Kota the Friend — Lyrics to Go, Vol. 1

Kota the Friend is the lyricist and producer of this lo-fi tape. He chooses a decent melodic jazz loop that sounds the same most of the time, and he performs competent conscious verses: his lyricism is frayed, it appears with a mix of not fully explored thoughts and annotations lined up casually playing almost against the minimal nature of the project. Consisting of ten very short songs — none beyond 110 seconds — for a total of about fourteen minutes of listening, it's a good relaxed effort, interpreted with regular rap: there are several interesting choices in this quarter of an hour, including letting all the rhythms breathe for a few seconds and giving up the hook, however, nothing here is memorable. 6/10.

Fat Boys — The Fat Boys Are Back

In order to promote their debut album, the Fat Boys have to undertake national tours. The young founder of Def Jam Recordings Russell Simmons contacts promoter Charles Stettler to organize a tour for 1984 similar to that of the previous year that Stettler had managed to get financed by a well-known beverage company. Stettler manages to get this 1984 tour financed by a Swiss watch company: Simmons wants artists from his label to participate, the Fat Boys aren't there and Simmons doesn't want them, because no one knows them, besides being signed to the Sutra Records label.

De La Soul — De La Soul is Dead

«De La Soul may not be dead, but on this album, their vital signs are shockingly low.» (David Browne)

Raekwon — The Appetition EP

EP pretty short, too short. Ironically, Raekwon proves himself solid, smooth and with a good energetic delivery on these three joints, but the rhythms — the jazzy soft, essential, rhythmic of "Solid Gold", "Chef It Up" that winks at the trap, and "Shells Kitchen", with its alternative vibes — they all turn out to be unfit for Rae flow.

17 January, 2020

Stunna 4 Vegas — Rich Youngin'

Khalick Antonio Caldwell, from Salisbury, North Carolina, makes his first solo album and as an introductory track he decides to put a song with DaBaby and Lil Baby together.

To get the year off to a good start, Hus Kingpin puts together sixteen songs from the past and comes up with a compilation that once again shows off his mic skills.

Oh, well. It's an improvement compared to the previous EP. Tech warms up on the dark and tight jazzy rhythm of "Outdone", then launches in the game the female MC Landxn Fyre, which asphalts the dark and essential jazzy of "Leave It on the Flo" with a devastating delivery; Scru Face Jean takes the sequel weighed down by an hardcore rhythm, the extended play ends with an average cut straight for the club. 6/10.

Tech N9ne — EnterFear Level 1 EP

Accessible EP that comes at the end of a prolific year for Tech. Here he places five songs, juggling worthily among light, cheerful and rhythmic jazzy and dark trap, supported by punctual female hooks. Recommended for diehard Tech fans and casual listeners who enjoy jazzy rhythms and fast flow. To the others: "B.I.B." it's a pearl with Krizz Kaliko. On a rhythm essential, that sails in the middle of jazzy waves, slightly rhythmic, Tech N9ne delivers calmly and confidently a fluid unique verse, Krizz completes the work with a hook initially sung calmly, then hysterically, then again calmly. If you arrive here, don't sleep on it. 5/10.

16 January, 2020

EPMD — Unfinished Business

Managed by Russell Simmons' RUSH Management, the EPMD duo toured with Public Enemy, Run-DMC and DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince. After the great success of their debut album, the following year Erick Sermon & Parrish Smith put a new LP on the shelves. Produced and mixed by the duo, the project features K-Solo and Frank-B as guests, with the duo's engineer Charlie Marotta offering a small contribution by playing guitar on "You Had Too Much to Drink". The scratches are provided by DJ Scratch.

Buckwild — Abandoned Beats Vol. 1

Buckwild's instrumental record remained completely ignored by critics: the cause is that people don't have much memory, they're tired of the jazzy beats and this choice of beats doesn't deserve due attention. The CD is released by Kurrup Money, label revived by the artist two decades after the label's last efforts.

The Egyptian Lover — On the Nile

Greg "The Egyptian Lover" Broussard started out as a DJ with Uncle Jamm's Army. The recording of some music for a film convinces the young man to also record his own solo album, although he doesn't feel that he has the lyrical skills nor those of a producer, being only a DJ. Egyptian Lover builds an album of eight tracks and just under forty minutes, stealing a bit from everyone here and there, including George Clinton, Prince, Afrika Bambaataa, Kraftwerk and Run-DMC. "Egypt, Egypt" itself is the daughter of "Planet Rock", even if practically the whole album is to be related to that of Bambaataa. The ballad "I Cry (Night After Night)" is inspired by a song by Dean Martin.

9th Wonder — Zion III

About a year after the previous one, the Winston-Salem producer 9th Wonder releases his third chapter of the "Zion" studio album series. Local rappers North Caroline Swank, from Littleton, and King Draft, from Durham, offer some rapping performance in a few loose tracks.

Quando Rondo — QPac

«One, two, three, and to the four

One Pac, two Pac, three Pac, four

Four Pac, three Pac, two Pac, one

You're Pac, he's Pac, no Pac, none» (Rabbit, 8 Mile, 2002)

From Savannah, Georgia, Tyquian Terrel Bowman is Quando Rondo, and Quando Rondo is QPac for his debut album, coming launched from three mixtapes released in the previous two years.

Mick Jenkins — The Circus EP

Third EP for Mick Jenkins, rapper from Chicago. 18 minutes, 7 tracks, 11 producers. Rhythms are trap choices with some random jazzy overtones, these beatmakers don't do much more than boring generic productions: Hit-Boy brings out a light lo-fi beat with snare drum for the first track, while DJ Fu and Beat Butcha provide a beat trap decent for "I'm Convinced". Black Milk places an elegant piano in "Carefree", in an attempt to hide an overly generic snare drum. Jenkins bars add little to the songs: the rapper says practically nothing, delivering his lyrics with an almost spoken and slow style, even sung on the fifth song. The EarthGang duo, the only guest on the tape, doesn't add much to the project. Disappointing and tasteless effort, not recommended. 4.5/10.

Uncle Murda — Don‘t Come Outside, Vol. 2

Leonard Grant aka Uncle Murda has been in the underground circuit for a few years, when in 2007 DJ Green Lantern convinces Jay-Z to sign him for Roc-A-Fella, a label that Grant leaves without being able to release any effort, together with Def Jam, following the departure of Carter, limiting himself to a few hosted in the albums of the label.

In 2016, Demario DeWayne White, Jr., a trapper from Memphis, Tennessee, released a collaborative mixtape with Yo Gotti. It's the beginning of success for this 25-year-old boy: he greatly expands his audience and manages to chart every single project from then on, reaching the mainstream, soon signed by Interscope (2017). "Time Served" is his number three studio album, released in association with Roc Nation.

RZA — Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai - The Album

Third solo work that can be credited to RZA, after his debut under the moniker Bobby Digital in '98, and the film score of "Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai" released in the Japanese market. This is a second soundtrack from the same movie by Jim Jarmusch, on which Bobby Steels collaborated, released for the US and European markets the following year, in 2000. It maintains a Sony distribution, simply in place of the Victor there's the Epic, which joins the Razor Sharp of Divine aka Mitchell Diggs, brother of RZA. Entirely produced, mixed and arranged by The Abbot, the album consists of 19 tracks, 7 skits performed by the leading actor of the film Forest Whitaker, for a total of 52 minutes. The performers are RZA, Masta Killa, Wu-Tang Clan, Sunz of Man, 12 O'Clock, Blue Raspberry, North Star, Black Knights, Suga Bang Bang, Tekitha, Superb, Royal Fam, La the Darkman, and the MCs extern to Wu-universe Kool G Rap, Melodie, Jeru, and Afu Ra.

9th Wonder — Zion II

Second chapter of the "Zion" studio album series, inaugurated by hip-hop producer 9th Wonder the year before.

Stu Bangas — Beats and Blood

First solo album producer for Stu Bangas, and it's a half misstep. Eight tracks, eight instrumentals, three quarters of an hour. The guests are Ty Farris, Vic Spencer, Mr. Lif, Nowaah the Flood, Juga-Naut, Recognize Ali, Blacastan, Verbal Kent, PhybaOptikz and Celph Titled.

Solo studio album number fourteen for Mikko Kuoppala aka Pyhimys, rapper from Helsinki, Finland. For its contrived and commercial construction, it reminds me of Eminem's "Revival": clearly pop rap album, with pop hooks performed by guests and dance tracks for the club.

Debut studio album by The Fat Boys, hip hop trio from Brooklyn, New York. The group was briefly known originally as the Disco 3, originally composed of Mark "Prince Markie Dee" Morales, Damon "Kool Rock-Ski" Wimbley, and Darren "Buff Love" Robinson aka "The Human Beat Box".

N.W.A. and the Posse — N.W.A. and the Posse

In 1987, the NWA debuts with a compilation of cuts from Fila Fresh Crew and other affiliates, along with some singles from the original group. The record comes out with Macola Records, the West Coast label that had already launched The Egyptian Lover, and a subsidiary of Kru-Cut Records, Grandmaster Lonzo's label that in 1985 released the debut album of World Class Wreckin Cru. Around the same time, in Compton, Eazy-E founds his own label, calling Dr. Dre from World Class Wreckin' Cru as executive producer and Ice Cube, MC of The C.I.A., a local group, to write the lyrics, DJ Yella and Arabian Prince help Dre in production. In 1986, the Ruthless team produces the lyrics for the song "Boyz-n-the-Hood", originally intended for the New York rap group Home Boys Only (HBO), but the group, signed by Ruthless Records, rejects the track.

Criminals in the Army — C.I.A.

Kinetic & Shogun of Killarmy emerge to bless the year with a typically Wu effort, archived in the Killa Beez drawers for some time and which owns 2013 vibes: lyrics and rhythms are provided mainly by the two interpreters, the delivery of Shogun is smooth and clear, while Kinetic tries to tear the cuts with a syncopated and irregular style, sometimes so much rough that it clashes with the rhythm. The production is mainly composed of the minimal, rhythmic and tight boom bap jazzy, with rare variations: on this type of sounds, the guests manage to give some twist to the monotony of the effort.