Future - Deeper Than The Ocean (Preview) (Freebandz/Epic, 2012)
SPANISH GUITARS! This may very well be Future’s best cut yet, from the video alone. Astronaut Status drops on Thursday! SKRRRRRRRRRRT
Riff Raff SODMG & Soulja Boy - Versace Bentley (SODMG, 2012)
To combat the rumors of Riff Raff’s SODMG allegiance being a hoax, it appears that Soulja Boy has finally decided to start recording with his most valuable asset. Versace Bentley is the first in the line of many songs scheduled to come about as a the result of this new union, and a joint album, Freestyle Heavyweights, is in the works. Maybe Soulja can help Riff Raff focus? That’s all that Riff is really missing right now.
Versace Bentley is obviously freestyle, but both sound good. Hearing Soulja’s quirky adlibs run over Riff Raff’s rap is a bit awkward, but entertaining enough. The minimal beat allows for Riff to flex heavily. Soulja is hot like Pensacola.
Future - True Story (Review)
(Freebandz, 2011)
- by Yayo
Future is almost solely the reason I came back to blogging. During my hiatus, I stumbled across Dirty Sprite, after noticing a few friends highlighting the Atlanta rapper’s ode to codeine and pop beverages. Future, whose real name Nayvadius Cash is envious in its strength, was exactly what I’d been looking for in a world crowded by lo-fi bedroom rap and post-Waka trap music. He was just street enough to appeal to the dopeboys and critics infatuated with the lifestyle, while possessing pop sensibilities that allowed him to a crossover success with Racks and Tony Montana.
There’s no denying the fact that Future can make hits. His signature croak, a deep-bellow that is far more sinister than Wayne’s, but not quite as bombastic as his bigger figured peers, give his raps a distinct sound. His sometimes autotuned-assisted hooks work because Future’s God-given voice doesn’t derive too far from the pitch corrector’s often maligned sound. It’s often hard to tell where the autotune starts and ends for Future; sometimes it’s questionable if it’s used at all, or if Future is taking vocal cues from Kermit the Frog.
Gucci Mane - North Pole (Mixtape, 2011)
The unofficial sequel to Weird, Gucci focuses this whole song around the concept of being Santa Claus. It’s always refreshing to hear the playful Gucci of yore, but he’s seriously rapping about throwing pipe bombs down chimneys on this song. Maybe a late contender for rap song of the year? It definitely helps that Mike Will Made It.
Mike Will’s Established in 1989 dropped yesterday. Featuring amazing songs from Future, Gucci, Schoolboy Q, Travis Porter Lil Boosie, Waka, Slim Dunkin and others. Mike Will is seriously producer of the year.
Slim Dunkin was never my favorite member of Brick Squad. I know how death often changes one’s opinion, and makes you see someone, especially an artist, in a greater light. I’m as big of a Gucci and Waka fan as they come, and Wooh Da Kid was always my go-to option after the Ferarri Boyz. But Slim Dunkin? Slim Dunkin was something entirely different. Slim Dunkin was all untapped potential, which, thanks to some scumbag with a gun out in Atlanta, will never be fully realized.
He was arguably the rawest member in one of rap’s roughest posses. Everytime Dunkin was featured on a track, he was guaranteed to make the song stop dead in its track. His thirst for violence was frightening at times, as he never rapped about little more than shooting and robbing in explicit detail. His style was incredibly visual; he’d describe the way he’d steal your shoes down to the T, threatening to “cut your ankles off if I like your sneaks.”
Even though Slim never got to release a solo project that fully showcased his ability (Menace II Society comes the closest, but it isn’t nearly as impressive as his showstealing guest verses), Slim released a couple mixtapes with Waka and other Brick Squad associates that helped him become one of the more recognizable members of the group. His numerous appearances on albums with Gucci (he appeared twice on Baytl, on the first single to Ferarri Boyz, as well as on Gucci’s Return of Mr. Zone 6), his heavy presence on Flockaveli, and his single Dunk with Roscoe Dash had him poised to lead the Brick Squad should Flocka step down. He’ll never get that opportunity now, and it’s just sad.
It was the lifestyle he celebrated that got him unfairly murdered by some coward. The motive hasn’t been determined yet, but it’s more than likely that Slim was about to get robbed himself. I’m positive that Slim didn’t go out without a fight. It’s a dark day when someone with such potential gets his life taken far too soon, but at least he was fairly productive in his young career and left a lot of material behind.
Rest in peace, Slim Dunkin. May we all DONK one time in your honor.
(Source: fuckyoubrandon, via realniggaworldnews)
Khalil Nova - Vaporizers (Internet, 2011)
Khalil Nova’s next mixtape, I’m The Black Layne Staley, is set for a release on 1.31, and he’s rigorously at work on the mixtape (as well as giving beats to Danny Brown). Over the past week, a couple leaks from the tape have emerged on Khalil’s Soundcloud, and they sound every bit as abstractly soothing as his 808s of Death tape.
Vaporizers finds Khalil getting lost further in distortion, his shrill, yet tempered voice mashing ever so gently against the loopy instrumental. It’s hard not to get lost in Vaporizers, which is every bit as inducing as the vapors Khalil was on when recording this. Salute the young Shogun!
Young Jeezy (feat. Future) - Way Too Gone (Def Jam, 2011)
Jeezy’s TM103 could’ve been a lot worse than it ended up, but thanks to some smart production decisions, as well as a decent cast of guest appearances to help lift the load (no Alley Boy), it is a solid entry in Jeezy’s catalogue, if nothing else. It is undoubtedtly the worst album Jeezy’s released to date, and he is little more than a shadow of his once dominant self, but we know those odds are often defied in the world of rap.
Perhaps the moment that glistens the brightest on TM103 is the Mike Will-helmed, Future assisted Way Too Gone. Way Too Gone starts off strangely enough with Jeezy’s voice run through a filter, the volume adjusted a few decibles below where it should be, making you question if you just downloaded a faulty copy of the album. The Mike Will Made It tag comes in, and the next four minutes are glorious. Jeezy’s hook-making ability is strong here, as it is often on the album, and Mike Will’s lushly-trap instrumental adds a lot to the atmosphere.
Future obviously kills it on the last verse - I’m really surprised he wasn’t given hook duty, but I guess Jeezy didn’t want shown-up that badly. As much as I like 2 Chainz, it’s funny seeing his feature Supafreak trying to follow this. Neither the beat nor 2 Chainz’ verse can compete with the combination of Mike Will and Future - potentially the most potent duo in all of rap at the moment.
B.o.B (feat. Future & Trae) - How Bout Dat (Mixtape, 2011)
Bob released his most recent offering, EPIC (Every Play Is Crucial) *sighs* today, and it’s got a few surprises on it. Aside from featuring Playboy Tre on two tracks instead of his obligatory single guest features (Bob’s treating Tre like he still matters in Bob’s world, so that’s commendable. T.I. should take notes pertaining to Dro), 2 Chainz and Future pop up. 2 Chainz isn’t too shocking, but I really didn’t think Future was in Bob’s linear world of rap. Either he discovered him on the radio when he was visiting his family in Atlanta for Thanksgiving, or Bob’s an even bigger Dungeon Family nerd than I knew. Or maybe he just refers to him as that “Tony Montana guy.” I dunno, I just don’t like these worlds crossing (especially since FUSCHIA is making pop-rap that Bob only wishes he could make).
Regardless, aside from Bob being his boring self and Trae whispering, Future does carry this track to some solid ground with a strong hook (that’s pretty trappy for Bobby Ray, odd considering Future’s experience at crafting those lovey-dovey hooks Bob gives Bruno Mars cocaine money for) and a verse about his favorite beverage. From what I’ve heard of the Bobby Ray tape, it’s not terrible if you like that stuff. You really shouldn’t be here if you like that stuff though.
