Gotta say I kind of agree on Run the Jewels. I guess I wouldn't say it's boring, because it's really quite powerful. But is it El-p's best work? Fuck no. Is it even Killer Mike's best work? I'd say no, though he does bring serious chops to te project. Mostly I just find that I don't play the albums very much. When I do, I turn them off after a few songs.

I kinda hope Killer Mike gets back to making solo records after RTJIII, and I hope El-p shuts the fuck up for a while, because I find him rather annoying when he's not staying quiet behind the boards.

The music is good, but I don't feel that it deserves quite as much fawning adulation as it receives. It grates after a while, not because it's low quality, but because it lacks sonic variation. If you look at classic hip hop albums, the really indisputable genre gems have more moods and flavors than seem to even be in RTJ's palette. It just gets a bit tedious is all.

Yeah, I actually said that already. Not just the thing about popularity not determining quality (which honestly doesn't need to be said - it's a given, and being adults, I doubt we need the reminder), but also the thing about opinions.

Touched on respect too.

I'm just genuinely surprised to hear someone as intelligent and articulate as you are make such a blunt and unrefined statement. It's fine if you disagree with me, but the way you chose to disagree kind of surprised me. I'm used to reading your blog at this point, and hearing you express yourself more imaginatively and maturely.

Also, to some extent we really can be what we like. I hate that "you are what you listen to" shit that snobby vinyl stores peddle because it's marketing attitudes of exclusivity and contributing to generations of know-it-all pitchforkian assholes who think they're god's gift to music fandom.

But we all surely have artists whose music means so much to us personally that it becomes part of our identity even when nobody's around to reflect it back on us (which is what shallow little record store twerps want - to be recognized as that "cool music" guy/gal who is insulted by the mere mention of musicians that aren't up to his/her standards).
I have as deep an emotional connection with certain musicians as I do with authors. Kanye's one of them, though I never expected that he would be. So while I accept that everyone has their own opinion, I also can't entirely distance myself from the music.

It's kind of like if you'd said "fuck Lou Reed/Thurston Moore/John Lennon, they suck shit" ... I've spent a lifetime with these artists and their music is part of who I am. I'd expect more than just a "fuck him, he sucks shit" if you were talking abojt Salinger or Gabriel Garcia Marquez as well. Not saying Kanye West is a talent of that magnitude, but he could be. I really think it's time for the world to stop viewing hip-hop as a trivial and shallow genre. When all you expect out of it is braggadocio, you're closing yourself off to what it could be, and I think Kanye West has proven that the genre is a great deal more complex and fluid and malleable than anyone previously thought possible.

... is all.

hey man, opinions are opinions. If you choose to align yourself with Kanye in any manner that is on you. Enjoy his tunes, praise him all you want.

I hate the dude's music. I HATE IT. It grates on my nerves just like a lot of different musicians. Both him and Jay-Z make what I feel are boring songs, boring beats, boring ass samples, boring ideas, boring everything. It is what it is.

I love plenty of stuff that many hate vehemently. it comes with the territory of musical fandom.


I have a deep emotional connection to Sonic Youth but I completely understand when others call it shit.

@Sev

GOOD Fridays are back today. SWISH is coming out really really soon.

https://twitter.com/kimkardashian/st...53669286440960

And the first song is OUT! https://soundcloud.com/kanyewest/rea...-in-la-snipped

HOLY SHIT DUDE!

It's fucking hot!

Oh but dat beat doe!

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to louder again.

Well, I can't argue with that. If you don't like it you don't like it and that's cool. I don't think as an artist he's really comparable with Jay Z (who I love, and who's an excellent rapper, but very much "just a rapper" all the same), but I can't think of anyone better to compare him to, so whatevs.

And yes, I too can totally understand why nobody ever thanks me for putting Sonic Youth on. Well, my girlfriend loves them, but I mostly listen to them by myself. If someone told me they sucked I'd probably think they had very limited imaginations and very set ideas of what music "should" sound like. I'd pity them a bit, but I would understand.

Yes bro!! "Real Friends" is incredible for real, it's pretty much Kanye's take on DOOM's "Deep Fried Frenz" (content wise), musically/production wise though it kinda gives me Graduation vibes and I heard that Havoc, fucking HAVOC did the drums.. it's more substantial and emotional than what we've heard from Ye in the last few months (infinitely better than that Jumpman remix that he dropped last week), Ty Dolla $ign did his thing with the background vocals too.. I LOVE IT. And that snippet at the end of a song featuring Kendrick over a Madlib beat?? JESUS CHRIST.

We're getting the album in a month: https://twitter.com/kanyewest/status/685648008856260608
And a new song every Friday from now on.. I'm just... sdfiksdfjkdsa. So overwhelmed. So excited. This album is gonna be a masterpiece.

(But yeah, I really hope he's gonna change the title as well.)

I told y'all that TPAB will be a masterpiece and that's exactly what it was. And I'm telling you the same thing about Kanye's next one too. It'll be monumental. I can bet my life on it.

I think "only one" and "four-five seconds" are great, but this new joint sounds like REAL Kanye. I kinda hope those tracks stay off the album... I'm pretty sure they will. FFS will go on the Rhianna album, "Only One" is great fodder for a singles comp, but this is the first time I've thought "Oh, he's actually worked on this" in a long time.

Yeah, that sample is excellent. I've kinda fallen off the Ty$ wagon as far as his solo releases go, but the man can produce. That sample is "perfectly Kanye", but in kind of a new way. Still, I could tell how it was going to resolve before it actually did.

I think it reminds you of Graduation because, let's face it, this is the first time we've heard Kanye use a looped beat and vocal sample for the entirety of a song without some crunching chorus to interrupt it (Bound 2), or several different time changes (Power) since.... well, since Graduation, which was built on top-shelf redundant loops.

And yeah, that snippet at the end was wild. I need to listen again, but I heard echoes of that Ghostface Sample from "New God Flow" which was immensely satisfying for some reason. Like, he's back motherfuckers!

Did you notice that he says he's got a son on the way in "Real Friends"? Kinda makes me think he's going to fiddle with the track more, since I can't see him releasing a new album (which is going to be a big fucking deal no matter what) with outdated information. He'll probably update that line, at the very least.

But we know that's par for the course with GOOD Friday singles. They're pilot tests. Closer to being finished that the demo-quality material he dropped in 2015, but still ... we know he could still do some fiddling.

Man, I can't talk about TPAB anymore. Through no fault of Kendrick's, that album has been pounded into my brain by every goddamn website, blog, magazine and media outlet in the world, and I'm just done with it for now. I mean christ, I actually like it less because it's been plastered all over everything for so goddamn long.

I need to forget that album exists for a while so I can listen to it again, because honestly I miss it. I've been playing good kid a lot lately because it's not as tainted. But I swear if I read one more editorial about TPAB and its "immeasurable" social significance, I'm going to barf out of my ass.

Sorry man, I just need to take a breather.

I know (it deserved all the praise in my opinion too). :) But I didn't mean to start another conversation about TPAB at all, don't get me wrong.. I just used it as evidence so y'all can see that I don't just go around and tell that a certain album will be a masterpiece just out of spite, or for no reason.. ;) I know exactly what I'm talking about.

Good call. I mean we still got a few more GOOD Friday tracks on the way and we don't know which one of those will make it to the album yet.. but if Real Friends won't, it's already very telling about the level of the album.

I'm wondering if any of the unreleased Kanye x McCartney collabs will make it. I remember how hyped we all were for that just a year ago.

My favorite cut from Rodeo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppqoILwgYZY

Was previously reported to be a collab between Kanye and McCartney but then he decided to give it to Travis. The intensity in Kanye's delivery and rock elements here are so good. Hope he can give us some more of that on SWISH(?).

def sounds like Hav did the drums. No surprises. That's one of the most slept on producers in hip hop in my opinion. His drums on "Americaz Nightmare" and "Taking You Off Here" are prime examples of this kind of shit.

Yeah I know. Remember when I was nervous about Yeezus after hearing about the length of the album and (allegedly) unused material? I was quite worried, but you knew it was going to blow everything away from the word go.

Bowie's final album was influenced by Kendrick.. how amazing is that?

http://consequenceofsound.net/2015/1...-james-murphy/

Bowie was always a master at jumping on a sonic bandwagon and milking it dry for all the good white folks out there.....

https://twitter.com/kanyewest/status/686449257767776256

Damn, I FUCKING CALLED IT!!@

Ever since 808's came out, I've drawn parallels between Bowie and Kanye as well. However, as much as I love the Bowie music that I love, I think at least ⅓ of his output was terrible. So I still feel like Kanye's followed a more Beatlesque path. "Late Registration" is the Rubber Soul of hip-hop. MBDTF, the Sgt. Pepper.

But Kanye and Bowie are very alike in their chameleon-like refusal to stay in one place for any longer than necessary.

Man, I'm straight up Fucking bummed about Bowie. Not utterly devastated like I was when Lou passed, but still- shocked and saddened.

Listened to "#realfriends" on a loop today.

A very haunting song, really. Extremely sad. Lyrics are painfully human as always, and have some genuine sounding desperation in them.

Can't wait for Friday.

Same bro, it ruined my day for real. :(

Here's D'Angelo covering Space Oddity live: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvhZy7H6fb0

(I always thought Bowie directly influenced "Ain't That Easy" and "The Charade")

it is sad and beautiful. Reminds me of 808s.

Wonder why the actual single hasn't come out on iTunes or anything yet.

Also, Erykah Badu did a remix. Not sure if it's any good, but it probably is.

That new Anderson .Paak is SO GOOD!! Best soul album since Black Messiah.

What a way to start 2016.

GOOD Friday to you all!!!!

What the fuck is up with this guy's name? I hate it when periods pop up at the beginning of words. How am I supposed to pronounce this malarkey?

Anderson Dot Pac? Anderson dot-Pack? Give me one good reason for that fucking period being there. One!

so quick question, and forgive if I sound ignorant, as I am a 42 year old acid-casualty Puerto Rican living in Houston TX....

I always hear about rappers putting out "mix tapes." I do see them uploaded on Youtube (I have listened to Chedda world (Chedda da connect), Monster (Future), Days Before Rodeo (Travis $cott) and Zoo Style (Fetty))
My question is, are these things put out in any hard format at all? Can I go to the black part of town and hit a music store (Like Bone HOuse Records or Swishahouse in H-Town) and purchase a copy of these mixtapes?

I wanna blast that shit in my car but all I can do currently is pump the youtube through my phone into my car system AUX style.

I am dying to have something on Vinyl, CD, or even a cassette so I can blast the shit at home without using my computer....

any advice or suggestions would be highly appreciated.

I am unnaturally hooked on Game Documentary disc 2... shit.. its no joke how many times i keep bumping it on repeat i don't think i have been this hooked on a gansta rap record since Kurrupt the Streetz Are A Mutha.. i am even more hooked than i was back when Doctors Advocate came out

"Mix tapes" are self released anthologies, usually posted online either from the artist's page, a streaming site like Soundcloud, or rap blogs/sites like Fader and Complex. If you are looking for any do a Google search.. trip adding ".zip" or ".mp3" to your search

Usually mix tapes are what we used to call "b-sides" or "outtakes" other times they are more or less random tracks that have no album and usually are individually produced. Further they are generally self released, leaked, or free as "promotional"

No mixtapes are basically a bunch of mp3's put into a zip file. You can download them legally from sites like www.livemixtapes.com or www.datpiff.com. Put them on your phone then you'll be able to play those songs directly without going on Youtube.

It really is a good album. I love Game's verse on the new Anderson Paak album too (listen here). He's back for real.

Yeah I don't really get it either. LOL.

So we're supposedly getting a new Kanye song today.. I hope you're ready! ;)

Thanks fellas. Long live music.

Ready? I've been sitting at the office checking my goddamn Twitter account all day long instead of working! I might go so far as to call it "trolling" if I had a better grasp of what that word actually meant.

Seriously though, I really did waste a lot of time. I didn't get some important shit done, and now I have to work from home for most of the night.

Rob - I've actually seen CD-R copies of non-retail mixtapes on sale in gas stations and headshops (and those weird half-gas station, half-headshops that pop up in the city... you know, those places that sell pipes, weaves, east a hats, XXXL t-shirts and doo rags as well as watered down gasoline and off-brand cleaning supplies?)

It happens. But the dumb thing about that is that ANYONE with an Internet connection and a trial version of WinRar can make their own CD-R burns lf mixtapes.

Don't go through YouTube. Go through DatPiff or HipHopDX or one of the countless other sites that allows you to freely download the entire track list of a mix tape. Then burn that bitch to a CD.

There are also "retail" mixtapes, like the Drake/Future abomination, or Indigoism, or [insert more titles from the literally never ending list of mixtapes that just won't stop coming out here]. Those are available on iTunes and shit... sometimes google play.

Then there are the mixtapes that are really just albums, like If You're Reading This it's Too Late, which is a fucking *studio album that can be purchased at any Best Buy or Target* .... it gets pretty fucking ridiculous honestly.

I needed the clarification for sure man...

I read an article with Lil' Troy (Wanna Be a Baller) and he said that he does not understand how the young cats are making any money off their music. he said he used to sell $500-$600 worth of CD's anytime he parked his car and popped the trunk, and that no one now wants to pay money for any music....