[Severian]

... I've been waiting for an opportunity to say the exact same thing to you, only I was gonna throw in a Joker meme.... Because I genuinely think Batman is that cool...

Ah man .... What happened to me?

Anyway, YOU ARE!!!

[Severian]

Has anyone bothered to download Lil Wayne's (or some DJ's) mixtape titled "Tha Carter V Sessions: End of a Series?"

Unless I missed something, it almost appears to be... Tha Carter V. With some DJ shout outs and crappy shit like that. But Wayne's verses and the beats behind them are not fakes, and I've gotta say .... He sounds serious, and what I've heard so far has been seriously good.

Just sayin.
Also downloaded L.O.R.D. Finally, after hearing Yall talk about it here and there. How legit is it? It's album length, but it's a mixtape. I thought LORD was a little EP Er some shit.

Eh?

[Severian]

Nevermind about that Carter V sessions thing. It's got a few quality tracks, but suspicion overtook me when I heard a Niki Minaj track from Pinkprint on the mothetfucker.

"Gotti" is a damn good song though.

[noisereductions]

that LORD download isn't legit - just some dude threw the singles and stuff together. I'm still trying to figure out what's up. Supposedly cancelled, but my preorder now says delayed til March instead of refunded.

[louder]

new C5 single, "Start A Fire": http://rapxclusive.com/lil-wayne-ft-...-start-a-fire/

sounds cooler than the last few songs he's dropped, in my opinion. it might not be a Lollipop but at least i can vibe to this.

[noisereductions]

I'm really tired of the trend of so many singles coming out preceding albums. Remember back when that happened w/ Rebirth? And then like "Hot Revolver" didn't even end up on the album. It ended up on IANAHB2 3 albums later? Or when The Game dropped like what? A dozen f'ing singles from The Red Album and then most of them didn't even make it to the album. I hate that crap. Don't promote yr album until it's done man. I know that the whole internet age makes instant gratification important and all. But I don't personally need a new single every month. I don't really need so many mixtapes either. I mean, quality well thought out stuff like Acid Rain is one thing. But the onslaught of 30-track freestyles is getting old to me. I'd rather just get a good album every year or so.

[louder]

Originally Posted by noisereductions

I'm really tired of the trend of so many singles coming out preceding albums. Remember back when that happened w/ Rebirth? And then like "Hot Revolver" didn't even end up on the album. It ended up on IANAHB2 3 albums later? Or when The Game dropped like what? A dozen f'ing singles from The Red Album and then most of them didn't even make it to the album. I hate that crap. Don't promote yr album until it's done man. I know that the whole internet age makes instant gratification important and all. But I don't personally need a new single every month. I don't really need so many mixtapes either. I mean, quality well thought out stuff like Acid Rain is one thing. But the onslaught of 30-track freestyles is getting old to me. I'd rather just get a good album every year or so.

i agree.

as for the new single, it's a pretty desperate attempt to get a radio smash so C5 could do numbers. but at least Wayne spits some bars there.

[Severian]

Originally Posted by louder

i agree.

as for the new single, it's a pretty desperate attempt to get a radio smash so C5 could do numbers. but at least Wayne spits some bars there.

You didn't think “Gotti” was legit? I heard that song and thought “Holy fuck, this is actually REALLY GOOD” ... Not like Carter III, but also totally different from the deluge of cookie cutter bangers he's been throwing out like leftovers.

It's a damn good song.

But I agree about the whole mixtape/shit ton of singles thing.
Fuck, Niki Minaj has been relying on singles ALL YEAR, and you KNOW the Pinkprint isn't complete. She's been able to stay in the spotlight just based on videos and digital singles.

Mind you, I'm totally in favor of bands releasing singles in between albums. It's the marketing style used by most of the great British bands since the Beatles. Blur, Stone Roses, joy division, etc. It totally works for rock bands, because it guarantees a nice day singles comp that plays like an album, and I'm down with that.

But for Rap/hip-hop... Fuck it.

[SuchFriendsAreDangerous]

Singles are relics from an old era but it seems current rap is either (a) doing it on a throw back or (b) trying to combat piracy (which plagues hip hop worse than any other genre) one track at a time

[Severian]

Singles have taken on a new form since digital music really started to expand beyond iTunes. Having a video and receiving (x) number of views is an excellent way to predict the degree of hype surround the album release. So videos leading to Twitter trends leading to increased digital sales all factor into a Billboard chart position now, and if three or four videos all blow up like Taylor Swift's recent singles, then it's safe to assume your sales are going to be good.

But "good" these days is a joke compared to the old days. Pearl Jam's Vs. had such a massive opening it was ridiculous. Lines around the block at Tower Records. Shipped like 930,000 units. By the time N'Sync and Eminem started hitting the million+ in a week Mark, Pearl Jam's sales seemed almost quaint.

But now - shit - 150,000 is enough to top the charts. The biggest bands in the world (Coldplay, U2) are lucky to move 700,000 in an entire year! Now PJ's sales seem unreal, and N'Sync's seem like the stuff of fucking fiction.

Taylor Swift just sold 1 million+ in her first week for (I think) the *third time in a row* moving more units and doing more trending than the rest of the year's top ten selling albums combined in just 7 days. I think the key to that insane kind of success in this music industry version of the dark ages is a direct result of very carefully placed "singles," a nice mix of fan hype and controversy, and the BRILLIANTLY idea "she" (her label) had to keep her new album off of Spotify. Ding ding, that did it. Spotify has become so massive that it's turned into its own Achilles Heel. All an artist has to do is withhold, withhold, withhold, and hello album sales.

I used to think Spotify was going to revolutionize the new music world, and help lesser known bands promote their music. But the really BIG artist have nothing to gain from using/being used by the service. Spotify can't adequately compensate Taylor Swift for letting them use her music. The amount she'd make from them in a year is less than she probably makes for five minutes of performing at a moderately sized arena.

She could buy Spotify and everyone on its staff and sell them like trading cards or pain pills. She could employ the entire service to ONLY play her music and it would probably double in size in 6 months. She could buy the Internet and remove Spotify from it entirely, then sign it and sell it to Apple and walk away with enough money to buy her way into the executive branch of government, and become Obama's BOSS, the Queen of America.

Just sayin. Singles are still relevant and Taylor Swift is unbelievably popular. 'Sabout it.

[noisereductions]

I was bummed about the Spotify thing, cuz well, I like Taylor Swift.

Also, I think it's funny that you said that she "moves units."

beavisandbutthead.gif

[SuchFriendsAreDangerous]

Moving "units" was always a big music industry scam anyway, it made them money while fooling artists into thinking they were making something. It was a way to cut more profit away from the artists under the guise of volume. Now that music is more pervasive and available "pushing units" is simply less relevant. You're right about spotify or pandora, the "industry" is cleverly trying to push audiences towards "legit" streaming sites where THEY still collect the revenue trying to replace what they loss from loss of radio and the damage napster started. Tv doesnt even play music anymore and radio is slowwly dying. The industry needed a new medium to fleece bands so they started selling licenses to stream, even taking over YouTube.. smart bands realize the money is where it always was, touring. Shit its why the big bands dont care about moving units either, they can make $500,000,000 on one tour..

[louder]

Originally Posted by noisereductions

I was bummed about the Spotify thing, cuz well, I like Taylor Swift.

Also, I think it's funny that you said that she "moves units."

beavisandbutthead.gif

i actually like Taylor's new album. it was smart of her to replace the country influence with hip-hop and Lana Del Rey.

[Severian]

Kanye don't give no shits about "units" or even the more accurate "actual fucking sales" reported by soundscan. He just rocks the live shows, fronts the festivals, and remains rich enough to employ Jesus as a pyramid-hauler for his love shoes.

God I love Kanye West.

[louder]

http://www.thefader.com/2014/11/25/c...e-sunday-candy

new Chance track, wow he sounds so great here. i don't really understand what he's doing these days but his next official solo tape or album or whatever will be very special.

[louder]

Originally Posted by Severian

Kanye don't give no shits about "units" or even the more accurate "actual fucking sales" reported by soundscan. He just rocks the live shows, fronts the festivals, and remains rich enough to employ Jesus as a pyramid-hauler for his love shoes.

God I love Kanye West.

well one could say he did back in the Graduation days where he defeated 50 Cent, but that was a fucking great album to "sell out" with.

[louder]

i'd like to recommend you guys PARTYNEXTDOOR2. it's more atmospheric and down-tempo than the first one (besides the lead single which goes hard), perfect alt-R&B for the winter.

[noisereductions]

so I got this interesting email from A$AP Mob today...

Keep an eye out for more news coming your way in the coming weeks. Big things are happening.

[SuchFriendsAreDangerous]

...sees this thread inching back towards crap rap discussions.. ..quietly backs out of thread shaking head..

[noisereductions]

 

Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
1993, Loud
Where to even begin on this one - one of the greatest hip hop LP's of the early 90's? How about the fact that it played a strong role in representing an entire coast when Gangsta Rap was in its prime? Nah. The East Coast/West Coast thing is overdone. How about instead we focus on the fact that this was an unknown group on nine MC's who all managed to show so much personality that it launched (basically) nine solo careers that are (basically) all still viable to 20 years later? Not enough can be said about The RZA in this instance. He put this group together and made a business plan. He would have full say for five years and they would all reap many benefits. And it all began here. There is so much personality bursting out of this disc it's unreal. Many of the solo tracks they'd be known for later find their foundations here. Be it the mafioso themes of Raekwon ("Can It Be All So Simple?") or the storytelling of Ghostface ("Tears") or the charm of Method Man ("M.E.T.H.O.D. Man"). Everybody got a moment to shine on Enter The Wu-Tang and that stretches all the way to U-God with his micro-verses and Masta Killa's lone verse (that fucking kills it!) on "Da Mystery Of Chessboxin'." But again, The RZA really was The Abbot. Go back and really try to pay attention to those instrumental tracks. Check the detuned piano of "Bring Da Ruckus." Check the Wonderdog sample in "Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nuthin' Ta Fuck With" and realize that you had no idea it was a Wonderdog sample. Listen to the weird guitar in "Wu-Tang: 7th Chamber" and the way that RZA whisper-screams "Ghost...Faced...Killah!" Or if you wanna just cut to the chase listen to "7th Chamber Part II" because what is going on? There's insanely dirty synths, there's saxophones bleating there's drum loops dropping in and out of the track chaotically there's... stuff I can't describe. It's an insane mess that works perfectly. The best way to describe this album is balance. It is so perfectly balanced so that every little ingredient is tasted, but nothing overpowers. The end result is a record so unique that you totally believe these guys aren't from Staten Island. In fact you might as well believe that Shaolin doesn't exist because this sounds like something not of this earth.

 

Judgment Night: Music From The Motion Picture
1993, Epic
To this day I've still never seen the movie Judgment Night, but I doubt the film is nearly as ambitious as the soundtrack. I don't know who's idea it was to make every track a pair-up of alternative/metal bands and rap groups but it was a ballsy move that paid off well. In a sense it should be a blueprint for doing this thing well, unlike say the majority of the entire nu-metal sub-genre. The album opens with Helmet and House Of Pain's "Just Another Victim" which is intense. And there's no giving in to either side. Helmet is just as noisy as always and Everlast kills his verse. Though I guess House Of Pain had practice with their Butch Vig remix of "Shamrocks And Shenanigans." Similarly Onyx and Biohazard kill it on the title track, but the two groups had already worked on a remix of "Slam," so the chemistry was there. And Ice-T of course already fronted a thrash band (Body Count) so again, no surprises. But there are other far more surprisingly successful pairings. Who would ever have thought that Del Tha Funky Homosapien should work with Dinosaur Jr.? Yet the steal the show. It is really jaw-dropping. Faith No More's track with Boo-Ya Tribe makes you think that Mike Patton should finally dabble in hip hop someday (Lovage doesn't count). Sonic Youth and Cypress Hill couldn't have been more different, yet what a dreamy atmosphere they create. It's not flawless though .The end of De La Soul and Teenage Fanclub's track could have been cut off completely. Sorry Teenage Fanclub, but your ad libbed vocals weren't just pointless, they ruin the end of the song. And Sir Mix-A-Lot with Mudhoney, well, I just don't think that one worked. But having said all that, this soundtrack is required listening for those interested in successful cross-genre work.

 

Tony Yayo
Thoughts Of A Predicate Felon
2005, G-Unit
Some guys are just fine in a supporting role, but don't translate well to being the star. This is how I feel about Tony Yayo's debut. Looking back at G-Unit's early run of mixtapes, he had some good stuff like his freestyle on "Deep Cover." He was barely on their major label debut due to a prison sentence, so the hype machine was rolling when he dropped Thoughts. But ultimately it feels like a bit of a mess. It's also the first real sign of the group really devolving. Of course there was the fall out with The Game, but you wouldn't know it from his debut released the same year as this album. While Game's The Documentary featured G-Unit heavily (especially 50), Thoughts relies on them sparingly. And it's maybe not the best idea. After an intro you will never listen to twice we're greeted with the track "Homicide," which has a decent beat but unfortunately Tony's flow (not his real surname by the way) tends to rely heavily on just shouting stuff. The chorus could have worked had it been 50 doing his usual suave sing-song but instead Yayo decides to take it on himself and it's pretty cringe-worthy. When Spider Loc shows up a track later, you're relieved to hear another voice. And this is only the third track. And it's Spider Loc! Basically the full album just goes on like this where you can hear what it could have been had it gotten the same full group treatment that most of their early solo records got. It feels like ringleader 50 just stepped back for the most part and let Yayo run the show. But that's not 50's style and for that the album suffers. Take "Tattle Teller" and its awful title. The chorus sounds just as marbles-in-the-mouth as reading the title does. The surprising thing here is that the few songs that slow things down a bit and should be worse for it (like "Curious" featuring Joe) actually work better because Yayo is forced to rap with his indoor voice instead of go off into the red. But the whole thing feels forced. By the time you hear him rap about eating a "fur burger" in the last third of the album any lingering aversion to skipping tracks will leave you. There's about an EP's worth of songs worth hearing here and a whole lot of potential wasted unfortunately.