YAYODANCING

Khalil Nova - 808s of Life (Mishka, 2013) I try not to get...

Tue, 21 May 2013 19:12:20 -0400

Khalil Nova - 808s of Life (Mishka, 2013)

I try not to get sentimental on here, but I’m so proud of how far my brother Khalil has come. No words are needed, simply download the sequel to the tape that ushered in a new era.. 808s of Life.

Chance The Rapper & Nosaj Thing - Paranoia (Songs From...

Sat, 11 May 2013 10:28:46 -0400

Chance The Rapper & Nosaj Thing - Paranoia (Songs From Scratch, 2013)

The hype machine behind Chance The Rapper is pretty incredible. A lot of people have credited it as an organic rise from the bottom, and I certainly don’t doubt this. But can I ask exactly where it was that everyone hopped aboard the Chance bandwagon? A year ago, his blog presence was minimal at best thanks to “Juke Juke,” a great song which actually utilized one of the most cliche samples in hip-hop to great effect. “Juice” was a pretty incredible single and benefitted greatly from the Keef and Trel name-drops, which let a more street-oriented fanbase know Chance was with the shits. Acid Rap was eagerly anticipated by those who were touched by the single, but the sheer amount of press that this tape has gotten greatly exceeds any of the subsequent leaks that mostly flew under the radar with the exception of some hardcore fans.

I ask these questions, but I really do like Acid Rap. I’m not in love with it, but it certainly is the beginning of a very prosperous career. The production is very lush, and the somewhat muted music contrasts well with Chance’s over-animated flow. But of all the songs present on Acid Rap, “Paranoia” - a hidden song that follows “Pusha Man” which would be released as a single for Songs from Scratch a mere couple days later - is the crown jewel of this mixtape.

Over a very minimalist beat provided courtesy of Nosaj Thing, Chance encapsulates Kendrick Lamar’s entire good kid, m.a.a.d city into one song. Chance is clearly caught between worlds, a survivalist instinct implanted in a kid who just wants to see the sun, but can’t because of the harsh reality he’s faced with. Dead children are mourned over, but also accepted as just another casualty in a city with no soul. Chance mentions some residents who had just moved there, and claims they won’t be there for long. Is he condemning them for this? Or does he envy them? Everyone dies in the summer, so Chance prays to God for a little more spring. But he realizes the summer is inevitable.

Mac Miller - Watching Movies (Rostrum, 2013) When I was in the...

Fri, 10 May 2013 08:14:17 -0400

Mac Miller - Watching Movies (Rostrum, 2013)

When I was in the VICE office last week - a story for another day entirely - we spoke about interviews, and how enthusiasts are the only readers likely to read an interview of an artist they enjoy. I agreed with the sentiment, as I’ve never gone out of my way to read an interview with a musician I didn’t particularly care about, but they brought up their recent Noisey interview with Mac Miller as an example of this.

Anyone who has followed my opinion on rap over the past four years knows I really don’t care for Mac Miller, and this led to me cringing at the screen, trying to hide my disgust as I gave a quick glance over the interview. I came across a question Drew Millard asked, that of “are there any writers you actively dislike?”, and I expected to see some mention of me. Not because I’m important, but because of how explicitly I attacked his character without a firm grip of who he was. The fact that opinion pieces like mine and others, coupled with things like that Pitchfork review of Blue Slide Park, drove him to drug addiction honestly make me feel a bit guilty. Not much, granted, but enough. Enough to make me read through that entire interview when I got home, and to give his recent material a solid chance.

Mac has changed a lot of people’s minds about his music through some smart associations. Everyone from A$AP Mob, TDE, and Odd Future have recorded songs with him, and the first single from his upcoming album is produced by indie darling Flying Lotus, of all people. It’s not very good. His mixtape, Macadelic, was certainly a step in the right direction, but I still wasn’t convinced Mac is capable of becoming anything more than a barely passable weed rapper.

“Watching Movies” definitely benefits from a great beat, provided by Sap, who also produced the serene “Thoughts From a Balcony” on Macadelic. Mac addresses his desire to make better music in the lyrics themselves, which is admirable, but wouldn’t account for anything if the effort wasn’t visible on a surface level. It is. Mac has tightened his flow, combining the free association rapping he’s adapted lately with a much more defined sound. It seems like he has almost found himself as a rapper, and more songs like this, less like “S.D.S”, and Mac actually might be onto something.

Might. If Watching Movies With The Sound Off turns out to be one of the better studio rap albums this year, I’ll rightfully take the L, but right now he’s swinging at a 50% hit rate.

Waka Flocka Flame - Interlude (Mixtape, 2013) Waka’s...

Fri, 10 May 2013 07:39:47 -0400

Waka Flocka Flame - Interlude (Mixtape, 2013)

Waka’s career has been in a strange place these last couple years. He tried crossing over with Triple F Life - a move that worked even if none of his own singles charted, as the “Scream & Shout” remix has cemented Flocka’s place amongst the pop world. He appeared on a song with Kaskade and The Cataracs, and now he claims he’s working on an electro album. He’s released a series of mixtapes that are almost indistinguishable from one another since Slim Dunkin passed, and I didn’t have any hopes for Flocka after his recent exodus from Gucci’s Brick Squad.

Yet, here on Flocka’s Duflocka Rant: Halftime Show, he releases arguably one of his most reflective projects, rapping over everything from jazz to The-Dream samples, fully realizing the potential that the Intro and Outro from Triple F Life hinted at. The tape has seemingly dropped with little fanfare - Gucci’s Chief Keef assisted single from Trap House 3 has gotten more attention, and it deserves all its gotten, but Halftime Show is the best thing Flocka’s done since, at least, Lebron Flocka James 3. It’s not a return to form, per se, as it’s more of a dramatic departure from Flocka’s traditional sound. Waka’s flow no longer consists of the primal screams of his last couple tapes - a sound that started off very interesting, but turned into a crutch lately. Instead, Waka reels it in to bring life to the real drama that’s surrounded him this past year and a half, a time which has arguably been the most important transitional period of his career whether it’s been creatively productive or not.

With Halftime Show, it seems that Flocka is finally starting to figure out what he wants to do with the second phase of his career - just in time, considering Flockaveli 2 is still scheduled for release sometime this year. Though some of his hardcore fanbase maybe upset with features from Avery Storm and the absence of the aggro style Flocka popularized, Duflocka Rant: Halftime Show still deserves to be celebrated for Flocka’s return from creative purgatory.

Riff Raff & Dollabillgates - Rolex (Mixtape, 2013) ever...

Wed, 08 May 2013 20:59:54 -0400

Riff Raff & Dollabillgates - Rolex (Mixtape, 2013)

ever wanted to hear Jody Highroller do a loose impersonation of Project Pat? That’s a rhetorical question.

Hustle Gang - G.D.O.D. (Grand Hustle, 2013) T.I. can’t warrant a post here in 2013...

Wed, 08 May 2013 20:55:53 -0400

Hustle Gang - G.D.O.D. (Grand Hustle, 2013)

T.I. can’t warrant a post here in 2013 (actually, it tends to take something really interesting to grab my attention), but the return of Young Dro to relevancy amongst the Grand Hustle ranks is really intriguing. For the last, say, 7 years, Dro’s been on the back burner of Clifford’s label, and last year there was even some blog speculation that Dro had left increasingly Disney-friendly label. Yet, here he is, popping up on songs with French Montana and Meek Mill, songs produced by Young Chop and FKi, and having the most dominant presence on the tape aside from Tip and Bobby Ray.

Does that result in good music? Not particularly, but the story still deserves to be reported. Has Young Dro finally found his way back in T.I.’s favor? Probably not, but he seems incapable of escaping his contract, so he might as well steal the show on songs like this instead of releasing solo mixtapes only enthusiasts care about.

Chill Will - O.V.A. (Mixtape, 2013) Chill Will has returned! Not...

Sun, 03 Mar 2013 09:48:00 -0500

Chill Will - O.V.A. (Mixtape, 2013)

Chill Will has returned! Not that anyone knew he left. Or who he is. Regardless, I’ve gushed enough over Will in the past, so all I can really do is further endorse the most underutilized, underpublicized Brick Squad affiliate. Also, if he’s still releasing mixtapes, someone other than me has to be listening, right?

Gucci Mane (feat. Lil Wayne) - Runnin’ Circles (Mixtape,...

Wed, 13 Feb 2013 08:37:00 -0500

Gucci Mane (feat. Lil Wayne) - Runnin’ Circles (Mixtape, 2013)

Is this Gucci’s “My”? Gucci’s having a lot of fun on Trap God 2, which is revitalizing after the anger sprayed off in every direction on the first installment. He also utilizes Zay more on this tape than he has in years, no doubt as a result of his resurgence after his work on Street Lottery.

KE On The Track (feat. Future) - Dark Side (mixtape, 2013)KE...

Sat, 09 Feb 2013 12:05:01 -0500

KE On The Track (feat. Future) - Dark Side (mixtape, 2013)

KE released the second installment in his EDM Nation mixtape at the top of the year, and Future proceeded to rap on one of KE’s dance-ready tracks. The result is pretty great, albeit tragically short.

Waka Flocka Flame (feat. French Montana and Frenchie Montana) -...

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 08:14:00 -0500

Waka Flocka Flame (feat. French Montana and Frenchie Montana) - Anything But Broke (Mixtape, 2013)

Last year, after the roughest 12 months of Waka’s career, and presumably one of the hardest years of his life after losing close friend Slim Dunkin, many people assumed Waka had fallen off. His sophomore album, though good, was offset by a number of forced crossover attempts that did nothing to increase his fanbase, only agitating his tried and true fans, the same ones he named a third of the album after. He tried to give back to those same fans with Salute Me Or Shoot Me 4, and even though it didn’t suffer from the problems that Triple F Life did, it also felt incredibly rushed, with most songs sounding almost identical to one another. It didn’t help that Chief Keef emerged from the same gunsmoke that Waka did 3 years earlier, only he brought with him an even more youthful vigor and the murder capitol. Keef was dead-eyed and intimidating upon his initial arrival, almost rendering Flocka’s increasingly cartoonish violence ineffective, and it almost seemed like Waka might sadly move into self parody territory if he kept going down the path he’d set himself on.

Waka wastes no time in 2013 to jump completely out of the slump he found himself in with his best project since the first DuFlocka Rant (10 Toes Down). He is increasingly pissed off, and the light-heartedness that he’s brought to his raps since the mainstream more widely accepted him is all but absent here, with the only real exception being the brilliant, whispered “College Girl.” Maybe the best example of this is on “Anything But Broke,” where Flocka lets loose of a true gem of nihilistic writing. Gangsta rap has always been a nihilistic genre, but Waka’s chorus takes it a step further here with the line “we gonna fight and fucking shoot until our souls disappear.” The same Waka that was riding a segway in a cowboy hat last year is rapping about his very soul ceasing to exist in 2013, and I couldn’t be any more excited about it.

Du Flocka Rant 2 is exactly what we all needed to kick off this sure to be solemn year.

World Class Wreckin’ Cru - Turn Off The Lights (Epic,...

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 15:28:52 -0500

World Class Wreckin’ Cru - Turn Off The Lights (Epic, 1988)

also this

Lil B - Eat (Mixtape, 2013) Lil B sings over Master P’s...

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 15:18:00 -0500

Lil B - Eat (Mixtape, 2013)

Lil B sings over Master P’s “Ice Cream Man”, No, he sadly doesn’t dress up like an ice cream man

Pink Flame is available now

Fat Trel - Make It Clap (internet, 2012) After the mixed...

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 15:03:00 -0500

Fat Trel - Make It Clap (internet, 2012)

After the mixed reaction Trel’s Nightmare On E. Street received last year, he’s changed his position in the game a bit since. He’s jumped on posse cuts with the A$AP Mob, aligned himself with Master P and Alley Boy, and brought the Slutty Boyz and Glory Boyz together for some glorious songs since then. He hasn’t done a lot on his own, though, aside from his series of Gleesh-mixes and loose tracks. Perhaps the most infectious of these is the Lee Bannon produced “Make It Clap” - which is possibly the most somber strip club joint I’ve ever heard. Trel’s always been at his best when he’s being a slutty boy, a dancing silhouette in a room full of glow sticks and sweaty drug addicts, but the joy that’s been present on similarly themed songs like “Rollin’” and “On Top Your Girl” is completely absent here. The Fat Gleesh is completely devoid of glee(sh), falling in love with a llama toting stripper, spouting off a host of boasts, but ultimately falling victim to the seductive stripper’s allure. The chorus itself sums up the song perfectly by asking the stripper to “please make that ass clap”, as opposed to demanding her, then bragging about bands and racks in the most desperate way possible.

Gucci-style “mwah’s” certainly add something to this track as well

Kevin Gates - Arms Of A Stranger (Bread Winners Association,...

Sun, 03 Feb 2013 12:15:00 -0500

Kevin Gates - Arms Of A Stranger (Bread Winners Association, 2013)

Kevin Gates, who Google tells me is a YMCMB associate but hardly ever associates with them, has been getting some publicity over the past year after “Satellites” last year, and his feature on Wrath Of Caine standout “Trust You” last week. With this new level of interest in him, Kevin dropped The Luca Brasi Story a few days. Why Kevin compares himself to Luca Brasi is beyond me, because aside from the illegal activities taking place on wax here, Kevin presents himself as far from a feared murderer. On this early standout from the tape, Kevin pens a beautiful post-Future ballad about the object of his affection, providing lush visuals of seasons changing and the heartbreak that remains through it all. The rest of The Luca Brasi Story is equal parts cocaine trafficking and emotional yearning. Also, there’s a song called “Marshall Mathers” that I swear was going to be about cocaine, but only partially touches on the subject, primarily focusing on hating people (as any Marshall Mathers-inspired topics should be about).

You should download The Luca Brasi Story here, because it’s quite good.

50 Cent (feat. Kidd Kidd & Kendrick Lamar) - We Up (Mixtape,...

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 07:56:00 -0500

50 Cent (feat. Kidd Kidd & Kendrick Lamar) - We Up (Mixtape, 2013)

The Aftermath labelmates finally link up, surprisingly, for what is easily one of the most intoxicating songs Curtis has released in years. This is merely a preview, and neither Kendrick or Kidd appear here, but this is the type of beat Fifth was put on this earth to ride. This is apparently going to appear on Kidd Kidd’s upcoming mixtape, but this belongs on Street King Immortal more than any of the leaks thus far.

Keef, Fredo, and Keef’s mother

Fri, 25 Jan 2013 13:06:00 -0500

Keef, Fredo, and Keef’s mother

Future Presents F.B.G. - The Movie (Mixtape,...

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 13:16:00 -0500

Future Presents F.B.G. - The Movie (Mixtape, 2013)

Future’s back with the rest of Freebandz to drop this all new mixtape. Somewhere, there’s a Sisqo feature.

Young Dolph - Dream (Mixtape, 2012) this is on constant repeat.

Sat, 12 Jan 2013 09:05:00 -0500

Young Dolph - Dream (Mixtape, 2012)

this is on constant repeat.

TKO Capone - Emotions On the Floor (Mixtape, 2012) TKO...

Sat, 12 Jan 2013 08:42:00 -0500

TKO Capone - Emotions On the Floor (Mixtape, 2012)

TKO Capone’s 40-song Duck Season was bound to be uneven with the sheer volume of songs contained. He included most of his Youtube hits - Louis Gucci, 3rd Gear - and their presence in a high quality MP3 were certainly the songs I gravitated towards at first. It took awhile to sift through the entire project, and though it’s not perfect, Capone continues to be one of few rappers truly deserving of the title “underrated.” “Emotions On The Floor” is one of the many songs that shows off Capone’s sensitive side, where he sings for the better half of two minutes, before finally kicking a traditional rap verse at the end. Still hung up on his ex, Capone admits to checking her Facebook regularly hoping he doesn’t find something he didn’t want to see and ignoring any phone calls that aren’t hers, a sentiment that a select few of us can relate to on a rather personal level.

Hopefully the second volume of Duck Season is released this year, with a more focused approach. Capone is still a great rapper, but his all-over approach has turned off a few people who may have otherwise given what should’ve been Capone’s breakthrough mixtape an industry co-sign. Also, hopefully he finally releases this on MP3

Pusha T (feat. Rick Ross) - Millions (Def Jam, 2013) Is Pusha...

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 08:12:03 -0500

Pusha T (feat. Rick Ross) - Millions (Def Jam, 2013)

Is Pusha Ton really back? Pusha’s been sounding very inspired since the “I Don’t Like” remix, and he’s especially sounded promising since he’s adopted some Meek Mill tendencies into his flow. The aggression displayed on pretty much every song since, say, King Louie’s “My Hoes They Do Drugs”, has really made Pusha sound alive yet again. All of the leaks from Wrath Of Caine - a brilliant title for a mixtape if there’s been one in recent memory - have really been the best thing Pusha’s done since he took up his G.O.O.D. flow on “Runaway”. “Pain” featured an excellent, yet understated Kanye beat and a regretful Future hook, and “Blocka” carried great energy with Popcaan’s dancehall influence and the Young Chop beat, itself somewhat of a spiritual successor to last year’s “Mercy.” Here though, Pusha and Rozay return to the piano-driven glory of trap music’s past, with Southside (from what I’ve gathered, though some think it’s the untitled Kanye production with Ross and Pusha; it doesn’t sound like it, though) doing his best DJ Toomp impersonation.

Wrath Of Caine dropping soon. 3 for 3, let’s hope this can continue.