Anyway, it's that time again, where I revert to R&B instead of your typical rap album. And this time, it's a pretty ass chick that goes by the name of Kehlani aka Lani Tsunami. Most people in this generation should know her by now, seeing that alternative R&B is the new thing right now, other than people listening to Grime around the Stateside and mostly the UK (of course). But for many who don't get into that R&B sh... lemme give you some background information:
Born on April 24, 1995 (Fun Fact[s]: the same Zodiac sign as me aka Taurus, and exactly a day before The Infamous was released) in Oakland, California, the 20 year-old singer was a member of a group called Poplyfe, that was on America's Got Talent in 2011, and were in 4th place in the finals. After her time with Poplyfe, Lani started to become a little quiet with her career, but actually became part of The HBK Gang, a collective full of artists from the Bay Area, such as IamSu!, P-Lo, Sage The Gemini and more. In 2013, she sang background vocals on the group mixtape, Gang Forever, on songs like "Little Bit" and "Never Going Broke", leading her to pursue a solo career, making some great songs. You got that, folks? Well... let's carry on!
In August 2014, Kehlani released her first project, Cloud 19 on HBK Gang. An EP, FreEP, mixtape, whatever, I'm gonna call it a "mini-mixtape". Referring to her age at the time and how she's a fan of recreational smoking, the mini-mixtape is filled with 8 tracks, with only 2 features from HBK Gang founder IamSu! and Kyle Dion. The tape was heavily praised by fans and critics, with Rolling Stone ranking it at #28 as one of the best albums of 2014 (just 2 places above Cilvia). She got recognized more, and developed a loyal fanbase. As you should know, I started to know about Kehlani via the HBK Gang mixtape, and followed her on IG before she blew up with this. With a powerful voice, a mesh of alternative R&B with some 90s vibes being present in her songs, I decided to check this one out, along with her recent one. Is this any good or interesting, and does it deserve its praise? Well, let's find out.
1. FWU
I honestly must say, I freaking love this instrumental from Swagg R'Celious. "FWU", the opening track, is a smooth track that follows Lani having a man that loves her, and that she's loyal, and a "ride or die" chick. Throughout the song, there was a late 90s/early 2000s Old School feel, that came with some modern drums, and I got a vibe that was reminiscent of the late Aaliyah. The guitar sample was on point, and imagine hearing a rapper on this, cos this was one of those songs, but Kehlani's voice suited this perfectly. Overall, "FWU" is a song where Lani boasts that her man "fux" with her cos of her loyalty, personality and all that. It's a great starter and a standout on the tape.
2. As I Am
Kehlani switches up this time, and goes with a slow jam, that is more chill, smooth, laidback and something to vibe to. Lani is still on the romantic feels, but this time, it's more of a sexual song about being in love, and both Kehlani & Red Mafia sets the mood perfectly. You feel a better Aaliyah vibe from this, that is more eerie, dark but wonderful at the same time, especially during the hook. It's smooth, has the "summer love" type of feel, and Lani belts out her voice, unlike before, making me happy, and mesmerized by the talent she has. Another great song!
3. Get Away
The mini-mixtape's lead single comes up next and ever since Drake sampled this at the beginning of his song, "Legend" (oh yeah, happy birthday to him, by the way), it's been a more recognizable song. The drums bang on this, and things sound a little darker than usual, but still on point. The song focuses on how Lani wants a man not to let her love slip away, and she succeeds to impress me. Jahaan Sweet's production was great, and was a sick one for the song, setting such a good mood to this. This was my first taste of her, and damn, was she amazing on this, belting her powerful voice out, and musically turning me on. This showed how Lani was all about: great production, amazing voice and a sweet ass hook. A fan-favourite on this mixtape!
4. Deserve Better
The type of shit that you'll hear on the radio, but unlike all the others, Lani kinda impresses me, and I really like it. Here, it follows Lani at the point where she feels that she should be treated better and that she deserves better. Honestly, it's a short song, and while I like it, it's not one I can care about like all the other. Take this as an interlude, if I'm being honest!
5. How We Do Us (feat. Kyle Dion)
Seeing from the "This Is How We Do It" sample, you could've thought it was a party track for people to get down to. But no, it's a collab between Lani and singer Kyle Dion, that focuses on making love and having sex, with the stuff they do together. If it had a video, it would've been the type for girls to start tweeting "Relationship Goals" on Twitter. Kyle does well with his singing, but obviously, with Lani being a girl, she obviously takes the cake, with her lovely voice. But it's not a standout. It's just a good song for the radio.
6. 1st Position
Another song produced by Swagg R'Celious, and once again, it's another standout. I just love the melody and the beat. It's just amazing, and it's probably has the darkest vibe out of all the songs here. It's another song that focuses on... you know, doing IT, but weirdly, has a lesbian/bisexual touch to it, especially with the line, "Say baby, stop messing with those boys, get you a lady". It's a good song, something dark, and gives an allure feel. It may catch people off guard, but honestly, I love this song!
7. Act A Fool (feat. IamSu!)
Hyphy. That's the best description to describe this song. With that Bay Area sound that people like DJ Mustard & Sage The Gemini made popular, this sounds a lot like Tinashe's "2 On", considering that Mustard, a producer from the Bay, produced that song. Lani is Tinashe while IamSu! is ScHoolboy Q. Anyway, this song is pretty good, something to turn up to. Lani's verses were pretty good, while Suzy came with the heat with a standout verse. With 3 verses overall on this song, I didn't know it'd still be at the 2 minute mark, I was thinking maybe 3 minutes or more. Nevertheless, for people like us, it's a good song. If you wanted a song where Lani was dark, and not turning up, then, this ain't for you!
8. Tell Your Mama
So the mixtape ends with a joint produced by Nate Fox, along with JP Floyd & J Gramm, and if you guys know how Nate was like with Chance The Rapper, you'll love this one too! This is probably the most positive and uplifting track, and shows Lani at her finest, talking about problems that you can go through, but to appreciate that you are here in this world. It's such a good song, and like "Deserve Better", it's a quick song, yet has the most replay value out of all the songs, showing that Lani can have different subject matter other than making love. Damn, this song is just... WOW!!!
So, there you have it... Cloud 19 for y'all. It's a good mini-mixtape, and it has Kehlani shows listeners what she's made of. A powerful voice, fire production, and good vibes, Lani brings a refreshing sound, different than what many do. It's something for everyone to listen to. Lani's subject matter is on point and so interesting. She gives that romantic vibe that wasn't really used before, such as giving some smooth 90s vibes, that remind you of Aaliyah, especially with her videos. And at times, there's things you don't expect from her, such as having a song about same-sex relationships on "1st Position", and "Act A Fool" which is pretty much Part 2 of "2 On". She gets positive and sends a pretty wonderful message on "Tell Your Mama", and her singing is just amazing. She can sing like no other. Belting her voice up and actually succeeding to impress me and other listeners. Overall, this was a very, very strong effort from Lani. Everything about this was good. How she brought a refreshing sound, the beats, the funky singing, everything is just awesome. If this was released at the start, I think this would've got more praise. People would've had more time to get with the songs, considering that this was released just before Summer was to end. Download this now! 7.5/10 is my rating. Every song on there is just fire! FUEGO (*insert fire emojis*)! Hot! Wonderful! Mesmerizing. That's how much I love this!
The Furious 5ive
Tell Your Mama
FWU
Get Away
1st Position
As I Am
All of the songs are my favourites!
OK, On to the Next One!
Released: April 28, 2015
After Cloud 19 was released, Lani started to get more recognition and was praised for her unique and wonderful sound. Celebrities started to become interested in her music, and became a household name in the new generation of R&B, up with bigger people like The Weeknd, Jhené Aiko, Tinashe, Frank Ocean, Miguel and more. As this led into the new year, in March, she announced that she has a new deal with Atlantic Records, along with a new project called You Should Be Here, and took her time releasing some freebies such as "Down For You" and "Jealous". Finally, on April 28, she released the mixtape.
You Should Be Here is a mixtape in the sense that Drake's If You're Reading This It's Too Late is. While you could technically call it an album, mainly due to the fact that it is not free and that they charge you (well, you can listen to it for free on SoundCloud though), Lani still classifies it as a "mixtape". Anyway, released on April 28, the mixtape was self-released, with features from BJ The Chicago Kid, Chance The Rapper, Lexii Alijai and Coucheron. Lani still keeps her sound, still blending old-school R&B with the current sound.
Like Cloud 19, Kehlani managed to get critical acclaim from the tape. receiving an average score on Metacritic, and a positive review on Pitchfork. It can be known as one of the best albums this year so far. Hell, even Selena Gomez liked her mixtape. Like Drake's tape, many saw it as a full-length album, especially having 15 tracks, and many liked her song. Being independent and not recognized like big names of our generation, the album reached #36 on the Billboard 200.
I've done enough talking, so I'm just gonna get into it!
1. Intro
No, people, this is just your normal album intro, which is more of a voicemail skit between Lani and her grandpa (with a great speech at the end), and it's interesting. Unfortunately, she doesn't show off her singing and melodies over a chill beat here. Enough said!
2. You Should Be Here
But the intro is a good lead into this song, which is a great title track. Here, Lani tries to let her man know that he should be fully present, mentally and physically, in this moment. The beat is chill as usual, and I can bump to it with no exceptions. And like she normally does, Lani smooths down her voice, and is a musical turn-on, hearing her wonderful singing. But again, is it me or does it feel way too quick? I still love it though!
3. How That Taste
This song follows Lani talking about her success and doubters, and how she came from people hating on her to actually getting tickets to her show, asking for a verse etc, impressing me with the content and her vocals, along with the fire production. Once again, Lani's singing is still calm, soft and not too exaggerated, making this a dope track.
4. Jealous (feat. Lexii Alijai)
Female rapper Lexii Alijai is the first guest appearance on the mixtape, as Kehlani gets with two verses that focuses on a guy that uses her for the fame and the bragging rights, as she expresses her feelings on her. Before listening to this song, I had to know who Lexii was in the first place, so I checked out her music, and she impressed me with those songs, especially "By Your Side". And this verse is another one of her memorable moments, and her flow is on point, using a little laidback style of hers to spit out her fire bars. Not to mention, she's actually hot too. Also, this is one of the songs that actually has an exceptional length, and doesn't feel too quick. The way Lani presents the song's concept is why I love her music! One of my favourites on this mixtape.
5. Niggas
Is it me, or does this song remind me of a Jhené Aiko song, but a little better. We all know that Jhené loves to talk about her past love-life, about how she's always with the lame men, and that's exactly what Lani does here. The only difference here is that Lani impresses me more, as her singing sounds more relaxed, the beat is smooth as fawk, and I can fully bump to this. But that last verse, she killed that shit, and when she let it all out in the end, it made me appreciate this song a lot more. Once again, it doesn't sound quick, and it's a very comfortable listen.
6. Wanted
This song follows Lani describing her man and what he does for her, making her feel wanted and that he loves her. Unlike the others, this one is chill, but bangs out with a little poppy touch to it during the verses. Again, it's like an interlude, but it's alright if you ask me.
7. The Way (feat. Chance The Rapper)
Chance The Rapper is the next guest on the mixtape, and damn, this song is amazing. In terms of the vibe, it's kinda similar to Ariana Grande's one, especially considering that it's a singer/rapper collab. But obviously, this one is better, more explicit and while Lani isn't one to belt her voice out like Mariah and Ariana, this was cool. Chance comes in the middle, and does a very decent job, having a great flow and mixing it with his singing. This is something I can vibe to and Lani's soft singing once again is a musical turn-on. I love this song!
8. Unconditional
Now this is something upbeat and refreshing. Here, on this song, Lani talks about how she's like, and how her man should really love her. At 2 minutes, even around the same length as the mixtape's title track, this unexpectedly, doesn't feel as short, and is really good, especially the catchy hook. A very decent song.
9. The Letter
This song is known as one of Lani's most personal songs on the mixtape, and it follows Lani having loved ones that were never around when necessary, including her own mother. This is one of those songs where Lani softens her singing, but also is at her finest, mainly because of the emotional feel of the song. The piano-led instrumental is the part where you kinda get the feels, and the emotion, especially when this song and its second verse relates to the theme of this album. This was apparently so emotional that Lani actually had a breakdown at the end of the song. This song is too real, and it's at a point where the album overall gets interesting.
10. Runnin' (Interlude)
OK, so this song is actually classified as an interlude, which is weird, cos it feels like it has an acceptable length. When the beat drops, it's just amazing that you wish that it's longer. especially when Lani sends a little message at the end about how men have a fear of strong-minded women, and if they can, they're a keeper. It's so good that I feel that Lani could've added an extra verse, maybe not on the album, but maybe a SoundCloud exclusive, cos this shit is FIRE!
11. Be Alright
Three words; So Damn SMOOTH! This song is amazing, and is slow, following a positive vibe, saying that even if you go through a lot of BS, you're still gonna be alright. Take it as Lani's version of Kendrick Lamar's "Alright", except it doesn't come at the police or the black man struggles, but it's from a woman's or your Average Joe's perspective. A very great song.
12. Down For You (feat. BJ The Chicago Kid)
Chicago soul singer BJ has been known for collaborating heavily with TDE artists, whether it's songs like "ROTC (Interlude)" with Kendrick Lamar, or "It's True" with ScHoolboy Q. So it's good to say this guy has came a long way and has made a pretty good following, and he finally gets an appearance on this standout off the album. This could've honestly had a video, and would've impressed me more, especially when this is reminiscent of old-school jams, having a reference to Musiq Soulchild's "Just Friends (Sunny)". Both Lani & BJ have separate verses and hooks, but when they both come together to sing, it's just amazing, especially when they both sing their melodies, during the break. It's a very nice song, and it's impressive!
13. Yet
This is alright, when you're putting this on R&B standards. It bangs out, and that hook just reminds me of most of these rapper's songs, especially Drake, when he's on the flow that Kehlani uses. Not a standout, but I like it.
14. Bright
Why does this remind me of one of those folk songs, or soul songs back in the day? Cos this is amazing! When this first came on, I just thought of a middle-aged white female singer doing this or a simple cover of a classic soul song, and that's exactly what it sounds like. It sends a powerful message, and Lani's singing is on point. The beat, along with the guitar is great, and this has a nostalgic feel to it, considering that Lani makes you think with this song. Overall a powerful and amazing song!
15. Alive (feat. Coucheron)
The mixtape concludes with an upbeat and a positive ass song, the same way Cloud 19 ended with "Tell Your Mama". This one is funky, and very bright... hell, the video is fire, and pretty much describes the song: carefree, bright and peaceful. Lani's singing is more soft, and the beat is very poppy, but very appropriate and something to vibe to. A great conclusion, and I love it!
If I could describe You Should Be Here in 1 word, it would be: refreshing. YSBH is a big step up from Lani's previous work, especially considering that there's a lot more tracks. Lani pushes forward and improves, with better material instead of songs about boys, sending powerful messages and having a peaceful self all the way through the mixtape. The production is better and is more hard-hitting, banging out a lot more and Lani proves to make some good music other than slow jams and nostalgia beats. She has modernized her sound and finally found herself. Songs like the mixtape's title track and the "Runnin'" interlude shows Lani's versatility. It's top-notch and the concept of this tape is just interesting the way she presents. She begins to have better subject matter and songs like "The Letter" and "Alive" just shows that, with emotions and peaceful vibes. Lani gathers more people for this, and they both take advantage of their appearances. Chance The Rapper adds a great verse on "The Way", BJ was amazing on "Down For You", and not to mention, because of Lani, I was turned on to Lexii Alijai (who is an amazing rapper), and she killed it on "Jealous". One thing about this tape and Kehlani overall is her vocals. It's amazing, they musically turn me on, but there needs to be many moments where Lani can belt her freaking voice out. It'd just make me, and the rest of the people, love her more. Overall, this mixtape was a great piece of work. It was refreshing, and something different. Buy this NOW! This is great, and will probably remain one of my favourites at the end of the year.
The Furious 5ive
Jealous
The Way
The Letter
Down For You
Runnin (Interlude)
Honourable Mentions
Alive
Bright
You Should Be Here
You Should Be Here is a mixtape in the sense that Drake's If You're Reading This It's Too Late is. While you could technically call it an album, mainly due to the fact that it is not free and that they charge you (well, you can listen to it for free on SoundCloud though), Lani still classifies it as a "mixtape". Anyway, released on April 28, the mixtape was self-released, with features from BJ The Chicago Kid, Chance The Rapper, Lexii Alijai and Coucheron. Lani still keeps her sound, still blending old-school R&B with the current sound.
Like Cloud 19, Kehlani managed to get critical acclaim from the tape. receiving an average score on Metacritic, and a positive review on Pitchfork. It can be known as one of the best albums this year so far. Hell, even Selena Gomez liked her mixtape. Like Drake's tape, many saw it as a full-length album, especially having 15 tracks, and many liked her song. Being independent and not recognized like big names of our generation, the album reached #36 on the Billboard 200.
I've done enough talking, so I'm just gonna get into it!
1. Intro
No, people, this is just your normal album intro, which is more of a voicemail skit between Lani and her grandpa (with a great speech at the end), and it's interesting. Unfortunately, she doesn't show off her singing and melodies over a chill beat here. Enough said!
2. You Should Be Here
But the intro is a good lead into this song, which is a great title track. Here, Lani tries to let her man know that he should be fully present, mentally and physically, in this moment. The beat is chill as usual, and I can bump to it with no exceptions. And like she normally does, Lani smooths down her voice, and is a musical turn-on, hearing her wonderful singing. But again, is it me or does it feel way too quick? I still love it though!
3. How That Taste
This song follows Lani talking about her success and doubters, and how she came from people hating on her to actually getting tickets to her show, asking for a verse etc, impressing me with the content and her vocals, along with the fire production. Once again, Lani's singing is still calm, soft and not too exaggerated, making this a dope track.
4. Jealous (feat. Lexii Alijai)
Female rapper Lexii Alijai is the first guest appearance on the mixtape, as Kehlani gets with two verses that focuses on a guy that uses her for the fame and the bragging rights, as she expresses her feelings on her. Before listening to this song, I had to know who Lexii was in the first place, so I checked out her music, and she impressed me with those songs, especially "By Your Side". And this verse is another one of her memorable moments, and her flow is on point, using a little laidback style of hers to spit out her fire bars. Not to mention, she's actually hot too. Also, this is one of the songs that actually has an exceptional length, and doesn't feel too quick. The way Lani presents the song's concept is why I love her music! One of my favourites on this mixtape.
5. Niggas
Is it me, or does this song remind me of a Jhené Aiko song, but a little better. We all know that Jhené loves to talk about her past love-life, about how she's always with the lame men, and that's exactly what Lani does here. The only difference here is that Lani impresses me more, as her singing sounds more relaxed, the beat is smooth as fawk, and I can fully bump to this. But that last verse, she killed that shit, and when she let it all out in the end, it made me appreciate this song a lot more. Once again, it doesn't sound quick, and it's a very comfortable listen.
6. Wanted
This song follows Lani describing her man and what he does for her, making her feel wanted and that he loves her. Unlike the others, this one is chill, but bangs out with a little poppy touch to it during the verses. Again, it's like an interlude, but it's alright if you ask me.
7. The Way (feat. Chance The Rapper)
Chance The Rapper is the next guest on the mixtape, and damn, this song is amazing. In terms of the vibe, it's kinda similar to Ariana Grande's one, especially considering that it's a singer/rapper collab. But obviously, this one is better, more explicit and while Lani isn't one to belt her voice out like Mariah and Ariana, this was cool. Chance comes in the middle, and does a very decent job, having a great flow and mixing it with his singing. This is something I can vibe to and Lani's soft singing once again is a musical turn-on. I love this song!
8. Unconditional
Now this is something upbeat and refreshing. Here, on this song, Lani talks about how she's like, and how her man should really love her. At 2 minutes, even around the same length as the mixtape's title track, this unexpectedly, doesn't feel as short, and is really good, especially the catchy hook. A very decent song.
9. The Letter
This song is known as one of Lani's most personal songs on the mixtape, and it follows Lani having loved ones that were never around when necessary, including her own mother. This is one of those songs where Lani softens her singing, but also is at her finest, mainly because of the emotional feel of the song. The piano-led instrumental is the part where you kinda get the feels, and the emotion, especially when this song and its second verse relates to the theme of this album. This was apparently so emotional that Lani actually had a breakdown at the end of the song. This song is too real, and it's at a point where the album overall gets interesting.
10. Runnin' (Interlude)
OK, so this song is actually classified as an interlude, which is weird, cos it feels like it has an acceptable length. When the beat drops, it's just amazing that you wish that it's longer. especially when Lani sends a little message at the end about how men have a fear of strong-minded women, and if they can, they're a keeper. It's so good that I feel that Lani could've added an extra verse, maybe not on the album, but maybe a SoundCloud exclusive, cos this shit is FIRE!
11. Be Alright
Three words; So Damn SMOOTH! This song is amazing, and is slow, following a positive vibe, saying that even if you go through a lot of BS, you're still gonna be alright. Take it as Lani's version of Kendrick Lamar's "Alright", except it doesn't come at the police or the black man struggles, but it's from a woman's or your Average Joe's perspective. A very great song.
12. Down For You (feat. BJ The Chicago Kid)
Chicago soul singer BJ has been known for collaborating heavily with TDE artists, whether it's songs like "ROTC (Interlude)" with Kendrick Lamar, or "It's True" with ScHoolboy Q. So it's good to say this guy has came a long way and has made a pretty good following, and he finally gets an appearance on this standout off the album. This could've honestly had a video, and would've impressed me more, especially when this is reminiscent of old-school jams, having a reference to Musiq Soulchild's "Just Friends (Sunny)". Both Lani & BJ have separate verses and hooks, but when they both come together to sing, it's just amazing, especially when they both sing their melodies, during the break. It's a very nice song, and it's impressive!
13. Yet
This is alright, when you're putting this on R&B standards. It bangs out, and that hook just reminds me of most of these rapper's songs, especially Drake, when he's on the flow that Kehlani uses. Not a standout, but I like it.
14. Bright
Why does this remind me of one of those folk songs, or soul songs back in the day? Cos this is amazing! When this first came on, I just thought of a middle-aged white female singer doing this or a simple cover of a classic soul song, and that's exactly what it sounds like. It sends a powerful message, and Lani's singing is on point. The beat, along with the guitar is great, and this has a nostalgic feel to it, considering that Lani makes you think with this song. Overall a powerful and amazing song!
15. Alive (feat. Coucheron)
The mixtape concludes with an upbeat and a positive ass song, the same way Cloud 19 ended with "Tell Your Mama". This one is funky, and very bright... hell, the video is fire, and pretty much describes the song: carefree, bright and peaceful. Lani's singing is more soft, and the beat is very poppy, but very appropriate and something to vibe to. A great conclusion, and I love it!
If I could describe You Should Be Here in 1 word, it would be: refreshing. YSBH is a big step up from Lani's previous work, especially considering that there's a lot more tracks. Lani pushes forward and improves, with better material instead of songs about boys, sending powerful messages and having a peaceful self all the way through the mixtape. The production is better and is more hard-hitting, banging out a lot more and Lani proves to make some good music other than slow jams and nostalgia beats. She has modernized her sound and finally found herself. Songs like the mixtape's title track and the "Runnin'" interlude shows Lani's versatility. It's top-notch and the concept of this tape is just interesting the way she presents. She begins to have better subject matter and songs like "The Letter" and "Alive" just shows that, with emotions and peaceful vibes. Lani gathers more people for this, and they both take advantage of their appearances. Chance The Rapper adds a great verse on "The Way", BJ was amazing on "Down For You", and not to mention, because of Lani, I was turned on to Lexii Alijai (who is an amazing rapper), and she killed it on "Jealous". One thing about this tape and Kehlani overall is her vocals. It's amazing, they musically turn me on, but there needs to be many moments where Lani can belt her freaking voice out. It'd just make me, and the rest of the people, love her more. Overall, this mixtape was a great piece of work. It was refreshing, and something different. Buy this NOW! This is great, and will probably remain one of my favourites at the end of the year.
The Furious 5ive
Jealous
The Way
The Letter
Down For You
Runnin (Interlude)
Honourable Mentions
Alive
Bright
You Should Be Here
