A$AP Rocky - Long Live A$AP

It has been nearly two years since A$AP Rocky stomped out of Harlem with the Live Love A$AP debut mixtape.  The critically acclaimed collection of songs got Rocky a three million dollar record contract with Sony and RCA Music, and when you listen to it, you can hear why.  Rocky has a wide range of appeal, and although the topic matter is not always there to back up his focused and well crafted image, his confidence will keep you entertained as long as you don't pay too close attention to what he is actually saying.

Live Love A$AP had Rocky constantly rapping about what he was wearing, drinking, smoking, and little else.  This makes him quite similar to other top forty artists, but where A$AP Rocky stands apart is in his expertly crafted, smoked out aesthetic, and his lurching, swaggering, self assured delivery.  Basically, he raps the same way Captain Jack Sparrow stumbles around in Pirates of the Caribbean.

On Long Live A$AP, Rocky keeps up this style fairly well.  Frankly, the beats are impeccable.  They are consistently dark and hazy, but each one is unique enough to keep the album engaging.  He also ventures into some new sonic territory with the uplifting "Hell(feat. Santigold)," and the epic finisher "Like i'm Apart(feat. Florence Welch)."  Rocky's flow works quite well with these two fabulous singers, and he actually talks about some personal, emotional material when rapping with Florence Welch, which is a nice change.  The only song that felt seriously out of place was Skrillex's addition "Wild For the Night."  Rocky and Skrillex, just shouldn't do any work together, period.  You can't possibly tone down Skrillex's frantic, dial up modem style, electronics enough to match Rocky's drunken flow.

On this same topic, the only real problem I have with Rocky's flow is his tendency to abuse the pitch shifted vocals, especially on the songs "Lvl" and "Pain."  If he didn't constantly remind his audience that he is a pretty nigga with french braids and gold teeth, I would assume he looked like a thugged out Frankenstein.

UNNNNGH...BASS...UNNNGH...BASS.

I also found myself much more engaged when Rocky strayed away from talking about his appearance.  The songs "Phoenix" and "Suddenly" are great examples that Rocky can carry a song with material about his poverty and his youth, even when the beat is understated and calm.  The sad thing is that there just isn't enough of this interesting topic material for me to stay seriously engaged with this album.  Rocky has always been more about style and appearance, than he is about depth and substance, which seems to work for him commercially, but for me that will only keep me engaged for so long.

Other than the singles and the additional songs I mentioned, the beats are so good on this album, that Rocky doesn't really add much by rapping over them.  I find this particularly true for the song "Fashion Killa" which has these dreamy vocal samples, bouncing off the lively percussion, and the song "Ghetto Symphony" that takes an Imogen Heap sample, and switches it back and forth into this airy, threatening swarm of strings.  These beats are so lush and dynamic, they don't really need anyone rapping over them.  Rocky's excellent taste in beats usually does a great job in showcasing his style, but when his rhymes fall flat, they outshine him by miles, and expose his weaknesses clearly, making him seem like a superfluous and unnecessary presence.
 

Kendrick Lamar - Good Kid M.A.A.D. City

Kendrick Lamar is a rapper from Compton, California.  Like most people, the city Kendrick comes from plays a large role in his development as a person.  This is clearly and thoughtfully showcased on "Good Kid M.A.A.D. City."  It is a very autobiographical album, and Kendrick goes through great pains to bring this across through the lyrics, the structure, and the beats.

"Good Kid M.A.A.D. City" shows Kendrick experiencing young love, robberies, peer pressure, and alcohol abuse all during a journey that he takes in his mom's van over what seems like a weekend.  He starts off by falling for a girl named Sherane who sets him up to be robbed.  This and some other tragic events culminates in his acceptance of Christ and vowing to tell his story so people can learn from it.  I don't want to sum up the whole story right here, because I think it makes more sense if you listen to it.

It is a very conceptual album with a story that is told through voice mail messages interwoven into the different songs.  The interesting story is what kept me listening long enough to appreciate some of the songs that I normally would not have cared for.  This was especially true for the song "Backstreet Freestyle" in which Kendrick raps about wishing his dick would get as big as the Eiffel tower...ya.

...Yes Kendrick...We should talk about that.

Its ridiculous and braggadocios, but in the context, this is Kendrick trying to impress his friends as they smoke and goof around.  He does not actually want the women, the fast cars, and the Shaquille O'Neal sized penis.  Trying to impress Kendrick's friends is a big part of this album for him, and this is more fully explained on the next track "The Art of Peer Pressure." In this song, Kendrick is doing break ins, getting high, and robbing people, all things he would not normally do, but life is different when he is "with the homies."

Kendrick also plays with his voice a lot on this album.  In the song "Swimming Pools," when he raps as his drunk conscience, his voice pans from left to right as if his head is spinning.  I thought this was a clever addition to a beat which is already so large and hazy, it sounds like you could drown in it.  Its a very coherent and interesting way to portray what being drunk feels like.  In the song "M.A.A.D. City" his voice is so high and frantic it cracks, just like scared the scared teenager he is reminiscing about being.

Lyrically, Kendrick is very strong on almost all the songs.  I especially liked "Bitch, Dant Kill my Vibe," "Swimming Pools," and "Sing About Me, Im Dying of Thirst."  I found myself particularly annoyed by the hooks in "M.A.A.D. City" and "Real" as well as how Kendrick ends every line with "ya bissch" (sic) in "Money Trees."  They range from tear jerking to ridiculous, but they are always compelling.

I found this album very compelling.  For every moment that I really loved, I had another one that really annoyed me.  However, I never found it boring or drawn out, even in the twelve minute long "Sing About Me..." which has some seriously heavy topic matter and a tragic moment early on that makes you confront death in a sudden and unexpected way.

The strong album structure also gave me a way to make sense of the things I did not like.  For instance, on the song "M.A.A.D. City" the chorus sounds Neanderthal stupid, but I think its supposed to, because in this song Kendrick is being interrogated by a gang member.  Since Kendrick makes me want to praise even the moments I did not like, it makes me really respect his artistry.  He even made me love "Poetic Justice," a song that has Drake in it! In his defence, Drake actually drops some great verses. I think he was a great choice for a feature on this track, because the song is about longing after a woman, which Drake is great at.

In conclusion, there is no doubt in my mind that this is one of the strongest hip-hop albums that has come out this year.  It is thoughtful and entertaining all the way through.  There are also many levels you can appreciate it on, so someone who is just listening to it for the singles would appreciate it as much as someone who stayed for the whole story.

Killer Mike - R.A.P. Music

Before writing this review, I really thought intensely about how I was going to approach reviewing a rap album.  My biggest challenge in reviewing Killer Mike's R.A.P. Music was this whole situation right here:

Street cred not pictured
    

This was something I actually felt I needed to account for in order to present this review.  I realize that there is a large cultural gulf between me and Killer Mike, which sometimes makes me cringe at his ghetto repping, and it also can make it difficult to appreciate the magnitude of the political and social problems that Mike discusses in this work.  Despite this, I did really enjoy this album.  With these things in mind,  I present you  Killer Mike's R.A.P. Music.  Brace yourself, it's a long one.
                 

This album's opener "Big Beast" really starts it off on the right foot.  The first line "Hard core G shit, homie I don't play around..." should give you a good idea of what is to come.  It's incredibly aggressive and the percussion, which moves double time for most of the song, really helps bring the fire.  The guest spots on this track from Bun-B, T.I., and Trouble all completely nail their verses with ease of the seasoned veterans they are.  Mike holds his own with these other hip hop stars, which should be expected as this is his sixth album.
                      

The high energy powerhouse keeps up all the way through to the track "Reagan" which exchanges the energy for a simmering anger and hatred for Ronald Reagan, and the system of economics he spawned.  After Mike finishes repping the south and his ghetto style, he really surprised me by delivering some incredibly self aware lines about the rap community:

"So it seems our people starve from lack of understanding
Cause all we seem to give them is some balling and some dancing
And some talking about our car and imaginary mansions
We should be indicted for bullshit we inciting"

This track also has some searing critiques of the war on drugs.  This song is quite similar in intention to the next song, "Don't Die" which is about shooting some crooked cops, who break into his house without a warrant.  In this song, Mike also reveals that his dad was a cop, which is not something just any thug would do, and it really starts to reveal the depth of Mikes character.  He is a thug, he is political, he is a southern gentleman, and he is so much more.
                     

The diverse range of material that Mike is able to discuss on this album is what ends up being the cherry on top of the crisp production by EL-P, and Mike's consistently large and infectious presence on all the tracks.  He talks about feeling like an outcast in his early life for reading a lot, comparing his life in the streets to being Jack in The Lord of the Flies on "Willie Burke Sherwood".  He also talks about being a southern man, which is a large part of his identity causing him to carry a "blunt and a bible and gun..." in "Southern Fried."  On top of this, Mike is very reflective and honest about his life decisions, both positive and negative, which is another admirable quality of his music.
                       

Religion also plays a major role in Mike's music even if "(He's) never really had a religious experience in a religious place." Songs like "Southern Fried," "Ghetto Gospel," and the closer "R.A.P. Music" have very religious themes, and the church organs and hand claps have a very southern Baptist feel to them.  In the closer, Mike discusses how rap music is his religion, and I would agree.  This album is infused with a certain integrity and ferocity that one could only expect from a person totally devoted to their craft like Mike clearly is.
                       

This album is fantastic.  From wall to wall, every song is brimming with good lyrics, tight rhyme schemes, and I haven't even had a chance to really discuss EL-P's amazing beats that back each song.  There is no dead space or downtime anywhere on this entire album, which can make it feel tiring after a little while, but Mike's constantly engaging lyrics will keep you testifying and nodding along all the way through.   Amen.