What Are You Listening To? (warning: Nsfw Language)

Honestly I barely listen to what Nas is rapping about. Nothing he said seemed too interesting, and he had a few cringeworthy bars with the anti-vaccination stuff.

But I thought the production was so great that just hearing Nas’s voice and flow was enough even if he didn’t have any groundbreaking bars.

This summer is insane for hip hop. Now Jay-Z and Beyoncé just dropped a surprise collaboration album (only out on Tidal right now) and I really like this. Maybe even better than 4:44.

 

Teyana Taylor from GOOD Music just dropped her album. She’s more R&B but this is the final of the 5 Kanye-produced albums this summer. Some tracks are a bit too much for me with the sexuality, but overall a smooth album.

Here’s my ranking of the projects I’ve listened to this summer so far (all currently still in rotation):

1. Kids See Ghosts - Kanye West and Kid Cudi
2. Ye - Kanye West
3. Daytona - Pusha T
4. Redemption - Jay Rock
5. Streams of Thought, Vol. 1 - Black Thought
6. Testing - A$AP Rocky
7. K.T.S.E. - Teyana Taylor
8. Nasir - Nas
9. Everything is Love - Jay Z and Beyonce

All quality projects though, so this isn’t to say anything bad about Nas and Jay. I liked their projects a lot, just not the most aligned to my tastes.

As badly as I think Drake got bodied by Pusha and was pretty weak in his rebuttals, I have high hopes for his new album Scorpion next week.

Also, I’ve re-downloaded some of XXXtentacion’s albums to my library. I liked a lot of his music at first listen. Interesting mix of aggressive mumble rap with emo singing. But I had deleted his albums after hearing about his abuse allegations. Did not want to support him and line his pockets by giving him more streaming numbers ... but now I don’t have to worry about that.

 

I know you said for summertime, but for 2018, Book of Ryan is still holding the top spot for me.

 

I need to listen to it a few more times too ... although that’s a daunting task when the album is an hour and 40 minutes long.

Overall, I like the style of the album. Lupe is flowing the whole time and the instrumentals are generally very jazzy and smooth. I prefer this Lupe over the Lupe whose been trying and failing at being a pop star (although part of that seemed to be his label pushing him in that direction against his will).

But I couldn’t really follow the concept of the album, and all the hardcore Lupe fans are clamoring about how great the concept is.

 

I’m not a huge Weezy fan but have liked a few of his projects through his discography. I’ve listened to Carter 5 once and overall I really liked it.

The consensus that I’ve heard is that it’s his best album in years.

 

I think Earl Sweatshirt’s “Some Rap Songs” is album of the year for 2018. If you haven’t listened to it, check it out from beginning to end. It’s only 25 minutes long. Interestingly Earl doesn’t really flex all his rap skills on this project, but he’s able to pack a punch with some simple lines and the production is great. I’ve heard comparisons to MF Doom and I can’t disagree.

The trio of Tyler, Earl, and Frank from Odd Future is crazy in how much talent they have.

For other genres, the new James Blake and Beirut albums have been on repeat since they dropped.

 

To be fair, I’ve also heard people say they flat out hate the album

I think the way he loops the samples can come across as a bit noisy for some people and the way his vocals are mixed kinda drown underneath that sometimes. So I can see how it can be divisive. Personally I really dig the aesthetic.