Jay-Z took all his albums off Spotify. :\

I know you love to push buttons, but Kanye is not a "Jay-Z copycat." That might be the most ridiculous thing you've ever said. If you seriously think that is the case, then you have a fundamentally broken understanding of... like... a fuckload of shit, and there's no point even trying to explain all the myriad ways in which you are completely and totally off base.

So? You have all of his albums except for the new one, and you weren't gonna find that on Spotify anyway. Put them on your phone or iPod or whatever if you want to listen to them.

(Another sucky thing about Spotify: you can't put your own songs into your Spotify library. Totally something you can do with Apple. Just sayin'. :D )

yes I have his albums. Yes I could rip them to my phone (you don't seriuosly think I own an ipod do you???). But that negates the convenience of not having to do that right? Those albums WERE on Spotify. I could listen to them anytime. Now I have to think ahead. And waste space on my phone to do so.

BTW there is a way to import CD's to Spotify, but it's convoluted. It's one of the reasons I've considered switching to Prime Music or whatever it's called.

Anyway, I just think it's lame. He put out an album so removes his albums at the same time to try to drive others to Tidal. Boo. I think these exclusives are dumb.

I fear it sets a sketchy precedent. I worry of a future where instead of paying $9/mo for Spotify you're asked to spend $9/mo for Sony Music On Demand and $9 for Universal Music On Demand and $9 for...

I think the "I" on Kill Jay Z is just the general public.

And it's shit like that why I'm gonna pirate it.

After the debacle of Frank Ocean's Blond (or was it Chance's last one?)
album the CEO has said he'll never do exclusives for albums. The idea is dumb and doesn't help anyone in any way.

Chance's last album wasn't an album in the industry sense. But of course, it was an album, just an independent one that's only available to stream and was partially bankrolled by Apple Music for a 2-week exclusive. (Actually, maybe it *is* an album now, since it was allowed to chart and win a Grammy? ... But whatever, Chance says it's not, and other people say it's not, so I guess it's... not.)

I think you're thinking of Frank's album, Blond(e). But it was actually the Endless release that he put out right before Blonde that was "released" by his record company (Universal?) and got him out of his contract so he could go ahead and make Blonde a self-released exclusive thing. I don't know why he did it like that... no physical edition and whatnot... but that's what he wanted.

So I think it was Universal (or whatever company) that said, "Wow, thanks to streaming exclusives we just missed out on releasing one of the biggest albums of the year, so fuck that shit we're not doing it anymore.)

Thing is, I think there are only a few artists that could even get away with releasing exclusives, and most of them are artists, like Frank and Kanye and Chance Jay and Beyoncé -- "of-the-moment" artists with solid, super loyal fans who are going to definitely do whatever they have to do to hear a new album. I don't think just anyone could get away with that kind of thing. Can you imagine James Blake actually being successful with an exclusive? Or, like, Aphex Twin? I kinda can't. I think a lot of people would just not listen. Those artists still have solid fan bases, but they're not at all large enough to make this a big draw.

Anyway, whatever... I'm really opposed to the whole thing. It's the market taking the reins and forcing the cnsumer's hand, and then saying "Look at how much people love this! Even though, y'know, we have them no choice!!"

Streaming is super useful, I have to admit, but it's not the same as having a copy -- even a digital copy -- of an album. Something you can put where you want, and hear whenever you want, and once you buy it it's yours, and fuck the world.

I didn't think you didn't have an iPod. Or MP3 player of some kind. That's what I meant... not "iPod" specifically but "iPod or whatever.

Like, I use my iPod to listen to music a lot because it's just in my car, on a mount, and it has a ton of space, and it just plays music. I'm constantly using my phone for everything under the goddamn sun, so it's easier for me to just use my iPod (or whatever!) like a CD player instead of draining the battery to play music when I need it for other stuff.

Anyway, I think I read that Jay's albums disappeared from Spotify a while ago. Like, maybe a month?

EDIT: FUCK, I just checked Apple Music and while most of his albums are still there, Reasonable Doubt and Blueprint are not. What the fuck? Those are the albums most people will want to play if they want to hear Jay Z. :mad:

4:44 earned Jay his first "Best New Music" on Pitchfork since Watch the Throne.

They wrote an OK review, but I feel like they missed a lot. Like, they didn't even mention "Caught in their Eyes" and they only directly referenced "Moonlight" in passing, before going on to talk about the effect of sampling iconic women's voices. Sheesh!

I feel like if you're going to review an album, you should spend some time on the album's standout tracks. More time on the music than on the surrounding cultural events, or how the album fits into an artist's legacy. How can you know that with an album that's five days old? I mean, barring legacy-making or artist-defining albums, that is.

Jay-Z has been doing this for 21 years. I don't need to read about those years, or what his family life is like or whatever. I'd like to read competent writing about the music on the album; not an album review/tabloid story mash-up.

Music writing sucks a taint. For all the bitching I do about it, I don't think I could do any better. I'd want to write about every song, especially on an album like 4:44, which is so lean and compact and smooth. But people wouldn't want to read about that. They'd want to read about Tidal and Beyoncé and Blue Ivy Carter.

Fuckin Frank Ocean is on this crazy hot streak with features, and he turned up for a track that samples Nina Simone and rocks the house! How could that go without a mention?

"The Story of O.J." video is now on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RM7lw0Ovzq0

Watch it, NR. I insist.

I'm still just playing this album over and over. This almost never happens anymore. Happened with DAMN., and happened last year with Pablo and Nicolas Jaar's SIRENS, but that's pretty much it for attention-holding albums of the last 2-or-so years.

Yeah bro, I think this is my favorite album of the year.

I'm glad Pitchfork gave it a good score, because it deserves to shine, but I don't even bother with their reviews anymore.

What do you think about the vid I posted?

It hurts me to know this album won't really get the credit it deserves. It reinvented and expanded Jay as an artist. It's pretty much a masterpiece in my opinion.

It's not better than DAMN.

It's more joyful and up-my-traditionalist-alley than DAMN., but that album is pushing on some boundaries that I don't think are fully clear to us yet. DAMN. is not carried by the production, its carried by Kendrick's vision. BLIND/DNA and DUCKWORTH. put that album on a completely different level.

I think 4:44 is awesome as fuck, but I think the best part of it is the instrumentation and production. Jay's rapping has always been really good, but it's the samples and flow and mood that make 4:44 great. No ID has outdone himself.

I dunno. Remains to be seen whether it reinvents anything. To me, it mostly just puts a nice fitting period at the end of Jay's career. He can retire from rapping now, and probably should. I really wanted him to come back with one more great album, and I wasn't sure it was possible, but he has. So I think it's time to call it a day.

It has expanded the reach of his cultural presence by taking on more social and political and cultural issues and focusing less on bling. That's great. It's a nice conscious album. It's Jay's redemption. If he quits while he's ahead, it will make him go down as one of the best. I feel like his legacy in that respect was starting to slip.

But now I see it's "gone platinum" (rolleyes) in four days or whatever, so he'll probably be back to bragging about his entrepreneurial awesomeness soon.

The whole Tidal x Sprint thing is idiotic. He's trying to guarantee his #1 album streak won't be interrupted, and he's stacking the books. I think that's lame.

But still -- amazing album. Just really amazing. Beyond my expectations.

Yeah, it's probably not BETTER, but I prefer it. Feel more emotional attachment to it anyway. "Kill Jay Z" and "Smile" and "Marcy Me" hit the spot for me.

Oh hell yeah, it's a spot-hitter for me too. Big time. It's full of just moment after moment of powerful, resonant beats and turns of phrase. Almost like Graduation, really. It reminds me of that album with its condensed, tight, non-stop high kind of vibe. No skits, no slow moments, no pauses or skippable tracks.

DAMN. is Kendrick's least dense album in a while, but it's still very Fucking dense and heavy emotionally. There's a lot to unpack there. And I love it, and it's my album of the year so far, but I can see how 4:44 is more ear candy. I find myself skipping tracks on DAMN. even though I love all of them (except "LOYALTY," which I just don't get), because I get into the vibe of the first few tracks. They're intense as hell, and then it goes on this odyssey, and snaps back into focus with DUCKWORTH. So I'm usually in the mood for either the first half or the second half, or I just listen to BLIND/DNA and then DUCKWORTH on Fucking repeat :D

But yes, I totally feel you. I still like DAMN. better, but 4:44 is hot shit. "Caught their eyes" and "Moonlight" and "Kill Jay Z" are my favorite tracks.

Side note: I am *positive* that NR will love this based on our previous conversations about our preferences in hip-hop, and how he and I both dig the big euphoric shit, which is why we fucked with TLOP right out the gate, and why we both struggled with the complex, labyrinthine aggro-jazz of TPAB (though I eventually found a spot for it, and maybe he didn't).

I'm loving on Lil Wayne's Magnolia freestyle https://youtu.be/6ihxhXekMUU

"and all these bitches got ass/
how'd they get it so fast?/
They didn't have that in da past/
I'm still gonna smash"

Tyler, the Creator is releasing a new album, Scum Fuck Flower Boy, out July 21.



I don't actually care. Not a bit. But it's hip-hop news, so... yah.

I don't think I've ever liked a whole Tyler album. Every one has some great songs. But I don't enjoy his albums beginning to end.

NR ... 4:44 IS ON APPLE MUSIC AND ITUNES. Maybe Spotify too, but... GO BUY THAT SHIT!

I don't buy mp3's man. I buy physical CD's, or I stream em w/ the subscription I'm already paying for. So let's see...

and...

nope. All of his albums are gone from Spotify. No 4:44.

I'm sure this is the greatest album of the history of music. But I'm not gonna condone this kind of thing. Y'know my dedication to Weezer and how unwavering it is? It's like that. I'm sorry, this is going to be like the Kanye thing. It's going to annoy you (more than it should) that I haven't heard it yet. But I'll hear it when Jay stops playing monopoly games and lets the consumer obtain this album (legally) how they choose.

Trust, if I heard it right now - it would be tainted with my annoyance at the decision of commerce. It's best I wait and hear it when I'm not annoyed.

50 Cent talking shit about 4:44

"“I listened to Jay s***, that 4:44 … I thought the s*** was a’ight. I liked the s***, but I’m gonna keep it 100 — the s*** was a little … the s*** was too smart. I felt like I was supposed to be wearing like glasses … and like a tie, a f***ing sweater around my waist. It was like Ivy League s***.” “Now Imma tell you the truth: n****s is high out here, so they don’t wanna hear that s***. They just wanna have a good time. You know what I’m saying? And f*** that—you can’t be the best rapper at 47 because the new n****s is here. They coming with new s*** going on.”
“That’s why I was laughing with the Joe Budden n**** with the Migos n****s ’cause they up. They up next, you gotta let the young n****s come in. N****s f***ing with Future and all this. Leave them n****s alone man, b, what the f*** is the matter with you, man?”
“I ain’t gon’ hold you up son, that s*** was like golf course music,” he added. (emphasis added cuz its funny)

This is hilarious. 50 is a funny man.

Louder, nobody seems to be picking up on what we perceived to be Drake subliminals in "Moonlght." I was looking at one site that suggested those lines were aimed at Soulja Boy.

???

Who the fuck would bother dissing Soulja Boy in 2017?

Think I was wrong about those lyrics? I honestly don't think I was. I think Jay wiped "Drizzy's" ass with that stupid fucking face. But maybe I'm just projecting.

Haha.. sorry, I've rankled you with my non-stop outshines I see ;)

But honestly, your read on this is wrong. In fact, I'd be kinda pissed if you were to break your oath for 4:44 when you didn't break it for TLOP.

This album is dope and everything, but it's just nowhere near as good as TLOP. Nowhere. fucking. near. as good. Not even in the same universe. It's a good solid boom-bappy rap album. It's great even. But it's no TLOP. There's no transcendence happening, nothing challenging solincally, nothing musically adventurous. It's just Jay being the best version of Jay, which is a damn cool thing.

So, while it would be cool to hear your thoughts on this, it's not gonna stick in my craw like TLOP did. And again, if you weren't going to break the rules for TLOP, you definitely shouldn't break your rules for something less than TLOP. I'd be happy about you hearing 4:44, but the implicit diss to Kanye is what would REALLY stick in my craw if you did break down and listen.

So do your thing man. Physical cd will probably be out in a week anyway.

Meh, I still think you got it right. Nobody cares about Soulja Boy at this point. Maybe those lines are just general subliminals aimed at the young generation, but many of them still apply to Drake:

BAAAAAHAHAHAA!

I didn't even catch the double entendre of Instagram/Aubrey Graham in the "All on the 'Gram" bit. Yeah, I think he's definitely talking about Drake.

Fucking Drake man. I hate him so much.

BTW, louder, NR... have you seen this animated Viceland video featuring Ninja from Die Antwood? It's about how Ninja once went over to Kanye's house and found himself in the middle of a super-serious basketball game between Kanye and his crew and Drake and his entourage.

The time Kanye and Ninja of Die Antwood played basketball at Drake's (YouTube)



It's fucking... hilarious.

Apparently Kanye is totally spaced out, but Drake is the real villain. A total douche. Much fun is made of Drake and his doucheliness. Also, apparently Drake and his entourage are, like, obsessed with basketball and are all really good, and Kanye's crew is kind of not.

There's a cute bit where Ninja talks about how Kanye would take all these ridiculous, acrobatic jump shots and trick shots and just fucking MISS, time after time, but didn't let that stop him, or deter him even in the slightest, and he goes on to actually MAKE one of these crazy shots that ended up winning that game for his team. :)

Nobody comes out smelling like roses exactly, but after watching this video, I think I actually liked Kanye even more, and liked Drake even less (neither of which was previously thought possible.

ALSO, Louder, yes I watched the video for "The Story of O.J." and it's troubling but also fucking brilliant. I think it made me like the song even more, as the video shines a light on several sub-issues of racism and black stereotyping that the song doesn't touch on (since it's largely about financial independence, and the "freedom" it can provide).

Great... GREAT video. Terrifying and spooky as fuck, but great. Seriously.

Say stuff!

Ha! I actually read ABOUT this story before, but didn't know there was a video. Gonna watch later today for sure!

Yes bro it's amazing, that's why I wanted y'all to watch it so badly. Seriously made the song even better!

The line about OJ is one of the strongest of the year, for sure.

I love how Jay delivers his lyrics in a conversational manner, you know? Makes it sound like he's speaking to the listener directly, his flow is more dynamic that way and just jazzy as fuck.

WATCH THAT VIDEO LOUDER!
You owe me a video-watching ;)

Plus it's really fucking entertaining.

^
Says the guy who filed for bankruptcy last year, and has been irrelevant for twice as long as he was hot shit.

Says the guy who, as recently as 2015, released a big, monstrous, bloated terrible piece of shit album that was universally panned, and predictable as fuck. Resting entirely on laurels that weren't even present.

Says the guy who has attempted to be the very kind of simultaneous corporate figurehead and hip-hop elder statesman that Jay actually is, but who failed at both endeavors miserably. The former because of shitty business decisions, the latter because he overstayed his welcome (his time was over long before Kanye obliterated him in first week sales in '07, signaling the end of the gangsta rap second coming).

Says the only guy who has ever been beateb in a rap feud by Rick fucking Ross (another fossil who is WAY past his prime).


I have nothing against 50 Cent, and I like many of his songs, and he is funny as fuck sometimes, but what a stupid thing for him, of all people, to say. It doesn't even make sense! Should Bob Dylan have stopped making music 39 years ago because it was someone else's turn? That's not how shit works. If you earn yourself a long run at the top, good for you. There's no rule saying you have to roll over. And Jay's not even peddling the same product as the "new" cats. I feel like this album is closer in spirit to We Got it From Here... Thank You 4 Your Service.

Yeah. So. I have plenty of shit I could talk about Jay, but none of that shit has to do with his music being "too smart" or him not moving over for XXXtentación or whoever-the-fuck.

It's a good album. Better than anything 50 Cent's ever released. Poor guy is worse off than Lil Wayne (who is, like, legitimately fucking CRAZY -- crazier than Kanye, and a little bit scary about it -- in ways nobody ever talks about because nobody ever talks about him). But at least Wayne is still scoring hits on features with Chance and Nicki and Solange.

Bad form, Fiddy.

50 cent sucks too. hahahaa

He had his 15 minutes. Made a few tracks that I'll turn up if I hear them on hip-hop '00s radio. When I got back into hip-hop big time, I listened to him a lot for a while. I even bought that Animal Ambition album for some reason. I just wanted something to listen to and it was cheap at Target. But yeah, big picture? The guy is a nobody. A blip on the Aftermath radar between Eminem and Kendrick.

Get Rich or Die Tryin' is pretty good (used to love it when I was younger), The Massacre actually has his best work on it but it's overlong with too much filler. Meh.

I like Get Rich the best.

But the first G Unit album is better I think.

Thing about Get Rich is I can hardly listen to it nowadays without feeling like a wigger.

Guess I prefer Jay's "smart rap".

I can't really listen to any of it anymore and truly enjoy it. There was a time when I really did listen to and enjoy 50, and The Masssacre is probably his best. I actually really like a couple of tracks from Before I Self Destruct ("The Invitation," "Death to my Enemies"), but I never feel a desire to listen to them.

Thing about 50 is that he was a personality above all. As a rapper, he's really pretty shite. His flow is stunted and lurches like a stalling car engine. His rhymes are flat. His delivery is flat, except for when he's just screaming himself hoarse. He raps like Puff Daddy, or Mase, only with Phil Anselmo's impotent rage.

Basically, he sucks. His good songs can be attributed to his personality, the production, the company (G-Unit), etc.

Anyway, if he thinks Jay Z's music is "too smart," I don't really know what to say to that. His head would probably explode if ever heard Gift of Gab or Aesop Rocky. Calling 4:44 "too smart," and "golf course music" (?) is just way, way off. For a guy who can be funny, he certainly is going out of his way not to be.

4:44 is like We Got it From Here... No, there's nothing new going on... nothing revolutionary, but it's a traditionalist hip-hop record, and a "thinking man's" rap record in an era when most rap is just boing-boing, slobbery, Brocolli bullshit. It's refreshing in that it captures the best of an older artist and sounds fresh in 2017.