Kanye West - Higher Education (The Trilogy)

Anyone should know Kanye West. An old man, young boy, hell, even a baby. It's not just the rap community that know him, everyone does from a racist white guy to the dumbest people in the world. Sure, every now and then, he's known for his antics while promoting his albums (such as the infamous Sway incident or his recent use of Twitter, posting random and useless tweets), but it's still good to remember Kanye's evolution from a young man wearing polo shirts to the man he is today. Hence why I'm taking it back to arguably his best work, the Education trilogy (The College Dropout, Late Registration and Graduation).

Anyway... Before he made a name in the game. Before he wifed up Kim Kardashian. Before he got into a car crash that messed up his jaw. Before he started becoming interested in fashion, and started selling clothes no one could even afford. Before he became one of the best and most praised artists ever, Kanye was nothing but a young boy born in Atlanta, and raised in Chicago. Although having ambitions of becoming a rapper in the first place (and his early material from 1996, along with his demo tape, proved that), he was first known as a producer, making beats under the Roc-A-Fella wing with Jay Z (he first started in 1996, when producing for a local Chicago rapper's album, but didn't get his shine until 2000 on Beanie Sigel's The Truth and Jay Z's The Dynasty: Roc La Familia), being responsible for classics like "The Truth", "This Can't Be Life" and "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)". However, his main ambition was to be a rapper, and unfortunately struggled to secure a record deal. He was even going to sign to Capitol, until someone convinced the label president not to. Desperate to let Kanye not go to another label, Damon Dash decided to sign him to Roc-A-Fella Records, after taking him seriously as a rapper and not just a producer.

Unfortunately though, in October 2002, Kanye got into a near-fatal car crash when he fell asleep on the wheel on his way back home from a studio session. This caused him to have a shattered jaw, which was wired shut. But, 2 weeks later, after being admitted to the hospital, the accident inspired him to create the track "Through the Wire" with his jaw still wired shut, sampling the classic Chaka Khan song, "Through the Fire". It was a song that expressed what 'Ye was going through, helping lay down the foundation of his debut. It originally was released on his promo tape, Get Well Soon..., before being released in re-recorded form in September 2003. Around the time of the song's release, he announced his debut album, The College Dropout, which experienced a lot of pushbacks until February 2004.

Released: February 10, 2004

After going through some pushbacks, due to its early leak and attempts to perfect the album, The College Dropout was released on February 10, 2004 on Roc-A-Fella & Def Jam. Preceded by "Through the Wire" and "Slow Jamz" with Twista & Jamie Foxx, the album was worked on for a very long time, and followed a them of making your own decisions.

Recorded over a period of 4 years from 1999-2003, The College Dropout went through a lot of issues. After completing the album, the album unfortunately leaked months before its original release date. However, Kanye saw this as an opportunity to review the album, and after, was remixed, remastered and revised before being released, which was a main reason for its infamous delays from its original release date to (August to October 2003 to January 2004 to) finally February 2004. With production entirely handled by Kanye himself, the album featured 21 songs (14 songs, 6 skits and 1 interlude), with guest appearances from nearly everyone (well, not really, but a lot of artists came on this) such as Common, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Ludacris, Freeway, GLC, Consequence and of course Jay Z. It was known for diverging from the then-dominant gangster persona in favor of more various and topical subjects, which can be seen in the album on songs like "Jesus Walks" (belief in God & Jesus), "All Falls Down" (consumerism) and "Never Let Me Down" (racism & poverty).

The College Dropout debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200, selling 441k copies in its first week, and was a massive commercial success, with its five singles achieving chart success. It remained on the second spot for 2 more weeks, with over 328k more copies sold (186k in its second and 132k in the third). By April 2004, it was certified Platinum in the US by the RIAA, and as of June 2014, has sold over 3m copies (and 4m worldwide), being Kanye's best-selling album. Upon the release, The College Dropout won a Grammy for Best Rap Album in 2005.

Anyway, I think everyone knows how this album is, so let's get into it!

1. Intro
Just a little opening skit to set the mood up!

2. We Don't Care
After DeRay Davis (as Bernie Mac) tells Kanye to make a song for the kids in the intro, Kanye's first words are "Oh yeah, I've got the perfect song for the kids to sing". And well... it kinda is a song for the kids, but it does deal with drug dealing, which was a very explicit topic for innocent kids back then to understand. Anyway, this has to be one of my favourite songs on this album. It's a very interesting track, with such a light instrumental as 'Ye raps about how people sell drugs just to get the money. And to top it off, it even has such a positive and socially aware feel to it, nothing negative and dark about it. It's a song that sets the mood very well, and it's one I love vibing out to on my way to school. What a standout!

3. Graduation Day
So continuing off the intro, Bernie Mac aka DeRay Davis didn't like how the "song for the kids" ("We Don't Care") focused on drug-dealing, causing 'Ye to not graduate from college. Here, in this little skit, he gets John Legend to sing about what he's gonna do, now that he isn't graduating, which is doing something that's better than that. I know normally for a skit, I shouldn't be getting in depth AT ALL, but I think it was necessary for this one!

4. All Falls Down (feat. Syleena Johnson)
On this classic track (arguably his best song ever made), 'Ye gets Syleena Johnson to interpolate a line from a Lauryn Hill track ("Mystery of Iniquity") as he raps about race, class and wealth, while frequently bringing up self-consciousness over a very sombre beat. This always managed to be one of my favourite songs from him. The concept of this song was great, and even to this day, I still get chills hearing this track. Plus, the video is memorable (Stacey Dash tho! Just made me wonder what the hell even happened to her).

5. I'll Fly Away
A little singing interlude that leads very nicely into this following standout...

6. Spaceship (feat. GLC & Consequence)
'Ye gets fellow Chicagoan GLC & Consequence to discuss the plight of the black man in the ghettos of Chicago. As Tony Williams sings the classic hook, 'Ye also talks on other topics such as his time as a ghostwriter, and also the lack of recognition he got. GLC & Consequence, on the other hand, respectively focus on their own problems, with G talking about switching from crime to rap and Cons discussing how he had been working hard, as he was trying to pursue a rap career. Both the song and the video has a concept of jobs and struggles, being something smooth and a strong effort on the album.

7. Jesus Walks
This classic song right here never gets old. I grew up listening to this joint, and damn, is it amazing! Here, Kanye discusses how Jesus "walks" with all types of people, from the sinner to the saint. The first verse is told through the eyes of a sinner, whereas the second verse is used for 'Ye to express his critical views on how the media avoid songs that address faith and religion, and even to this day, it's pretty relatable. Everything about this song is great, the choir sample, the lyricism and content, the verses, and obviously the classic beat.

8. Never Let Me Down (feat. Jay Z & J. Ivy)
'Ye gets the one and only Jay Z, along with poet J. Ivy to jump on this wonderful cut, which is interpreted differently by the 3. Jigga starts off by talks about how he'll always deliver and never let the rap game down, but both Kanye & Ivy take the song to more serious extents. 'Ye thanks his grandparents for making him and his mother (RIP) who they are today, while also doing some social commentary, and Ivy concludes with a poem, dedicated to his belief in God. This song was such a personal cut, and it was nice to hear the 3 go at it on this track, Easily a standout on the album!

9. Get 'Em High (feat. Talib Kweli & Common)
Talib & Com get on as they create a live crowd anthem, which is an advantage for the trio to show off their skills. 'Ye was pretty good, and his flow on here was very impressive. But I was really interested when Talib came with a killer verse and I was very happy hearing it. Com did well with his verse, but if I'm being honest, it didn't necessarily suit the vibe and sounded like it was used to keep the track going, This isn't really one of my favourite tracks, but I can still vibe out to it.

10. Workout Plan
The skit interlude that leads up to a classic Kanye song...

11. The New Workout Plan
This song is a classic, gives me a lot of memories, considering the infamous video for it. But in all honesty, it has to be one of my least favourite song and single off the album. Like, I understand it wasn't meant to be that serious, but it's not one that I can put as a standout. I like the concept, the way the track was like (especially the ending part) and of course the video. But, like I said, my least favourite.

12. Slow Jamz (feat. Twista & Jamie Foxx)
An alternate version of the classic Twista single is found on this album, and as you can see from its length, it's not necessarily the same. While Twista & Ye's verses remain the same, along with Jamie's hook, there's an opening skit, extended vocals from Jamie before Twista does his hook and the omission of the ending from Twista. I really like this version more than the normal single version, although I wish after Jamie did his extended vocals near the end, the Twista outro would come along instead of the hook. I still love it tho.

13. Breathe In Breathe Out (feat. Ludacris)
Only God knows how I fully vibe out to this track than most of the tracks on the album (other than Last Call, We Don't Care and All Falls Down). It's actually that good! While Luda provides a catchy hook, Kanye comes with 3 decent verses over a fire instrumental. His flow was very impressive on this track, and his bars were sick (that PhD line was funny tho). Not to mention, it gets me bobbing my head a lot. One of my favourites.

14. School Spirit (Skit #1)
...

15. School Spirit
I actually like this song. The Aretha Franklin sample, the jolly vibe, 'Ye's lyrics, everything about it is so good. Ok, apart from the fact that it's censored. Anyway, Kanye gives off a very good feel to this song, as he talks about college and chasing his dreams. It's pretty great, another one of my favourites, but I hate the fact that it's off-puttingly censored.

16. School Spirit (Skit #2)
I always ask myself why didn't they put both the skits together with the song. Because there was no need for separating them.

17. Lil Jimmy (Skit)
You gotta be bullshitting me! 2 skits. 2 FREAKING SKITS!!

18. Two Words (feat. Mos Def, Freeway & The Harlem Boys Choir)
All I gotta say is this song BANGS!!! Period. This song is amazing, the choir, the appearances from Mos & Free, the killer verse from 'Ye and the switch up near the end. "Two Words", basically follows the trio following what the title says, spitting their verses with two words (or two stressed syllables) for every quarter bar. And they all impress me with their flow on this one, especially Kanye, as he focuses on his home town, his production work, being nominated for a Grammy as a producer, and also reflects on social issues in America. This song is too epic. The beat gives a cinematic and big vibe to the song, and plus, the video, although low-budget unfortunately, even gives a better way of how I see this song. So damn GOOD!

19. Through the Wire
It's funny how a near-fatal car crash got him to make this song aka his best song ever. I don't even need to explain. This song is just too good!

20. Family Business
On this personal song, Kanye discusses family issues, not just in his family but others, as he touches on his success, reflects on early life and family, and much more. I really find myself liking this song with every listen. The positive feel to it is just amazing, and Kanye keeps up with the content very well on this song, as he shows love to not only his family, but others too. A great song!

21. Last Call
This has to be my favourite closing track ever. I don't even care if he raps for 4 minutes and leaves 6 minutes to talk about his early life and career up to that album. This is just FIRE!!! The beat, Kanye's flow, everything! As I said at the start, Kanye only raps for 4 minutes with impressive lines such as "Though the fans want the feeling of A Tribe Called Quest/But all they got left is this guy called West" and of course, "Killin y'all niggas on that lyrical shit/Mayonnaise-colored Benz, I push Miracle Whips" over a chill beat courtesy of Kanye obviously and Evidence. After that, he spends 6 minutes telling the audience about his life and career before the album, and even flat-out admitted that he took the drums from Dr. Dre's "Xxplosive" for the Dynasty standout, "This Can't Be Life" with Jay Z and his Roc-A-Fella squad. What's funny is that no one would EVER admit taking drums from other songs (apart from the "Amen break" and "Funky Drummer"). I just love this song! It's simply amazing... arguably the best way to end an album.

You know what, I seem to remember not liking The College Dropout like that. I dunno, I always fawked with Late Registration more for some reason (you'll find out why soon). But listening to it today, it's pretty understandable why nearly everybody loves this album. Over 12 years later, and it's still a freaking classic. The College Dropout was an amazing introduction to Kanye, and who he was. Almost every track on here is a standout, I'm not even bullshitting. From "We Don't Care" to "Last Call", the album doesn't fail to impress me. It's so good that even if you take away one track from it, it'll shatter. Kanye manages to make the features sound good and comfortable, and with every appearance, it doesn't feel bland or forced. And not to mention, the subject matter on this album is just wonderful, dealing with self-consciousness, family, success, education and more. Every track on here gives a very different vibe, and Kanye is so consistent with it that it just makes you speechless. There are only 14 actual tracks (the remaining are only skits) and pretty much every track freaking delivers, even "The New Workout Plan". The College Dropout made a mark in the game, proving that you don't have to be a street rapper to make it into the industry, and without it, God knows how we'd know Kanye as today. BUY THIS SHIT! The fact that every track on here is freaking listenable just says enough!

Recommendable Tracks
Through the Wire
All Falls Down
Last Call
Jesus Walks
We Don't Care
Two Words
Never Let Me Down
Spaceship
Breathe In Breathe Out

Honourable Mentions
School Spirit
Get 'Em High
Family Business

OK, on to the next one!

Released: August 30, 2005

After the release of The College Dropout, Kanye gained a lot of recognition for his sound and content, as he sold so much copies from the album, going TRIPLE-platinum. His style of sped-up samples and what fans coined as "chipmunk soul" had been copied by many people, after the release of his first album, and because Kanye felt he was too dependent on that style, he started to find a new sound. In 2004, he founded GOOD Music (Getting Out Our Dreams), signing people such as John Legend, Common & Consequence. A few months later (in 2005), he was nominated for 10 Grammies and won one for Best Rap Album.

In fall 2004, Kanye started to work on his sophomore effort. Because of this, he invested $2m, taking over a year for him to craft it. Being inspired in his early career by the live Portishead album, Roseland NYC Live, he was known to use string instruments in his production. Although at the time, he couldn't afford enough live instrumentals for The College Dropout, his success from that album got him to hire a string orchestra for his second album. He also collaborated with film score composer Jon Brion, and by August 2005, his long-awaited sophomore effort, Late Registration was finally out!

Released just before September, Late Registration was the second of the education-themed trilogy. Following the major success of his previous album, it was an album known for showing 'Ye's progression of his content and production style. As he was finding a new sound, 'Ye hired a string orchestra and worked with Jon Brion for his production. Like The College Dropout, there are 21 tracks on there (this time, around 16 tracks + 5 skits), with features from Nas, Really Doe, Adam Levine, Brandy, Cam'ron, Consequence and Lupe Fiasco. It was also known to spawn some of his best songs such as "Touch the Sky", "Heard 'Em Say", "Diamonds from Sierra Leone" and "Hey Mama".

Late Registration debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200, selling 860k copies in its first week, which was nearly double the amount that The College Dropout sold. For two consecutive weeks, it remained on the top spot, and already by its second week, sold over 1.1m copies. The album received widespread acclaim from critics, getting 5 stars from Rolling Stone, The New York Times and AllMusic. It was called the best album of 2005 by USA Today, Spin & Time. In 2006, the album won a Grammy once again for Best Rap Album.

But the question is, was it any better than The College Dropout? Let's see...

1. Wake Up Mr. West
And we're back at it again with the fake Bernie Mac aka DeRay Davis. Still a classic opening skit tho.

2. Heard 'Em Say (feat. Adam Levine)
The "Wake Up!" command leads into what could arguably be one of his best songs to date. With Adam Levine on the hook, and a laidback beat with a Natalie Cole sample, Kanye reflects on the harsh realities in life, and how things happen for a reason. The song is a good way to get into the album, as Kanye's content is more intact, and the hook from Adam is just... amazing! Certainly added something to that song. A standout on the album.

3. Touch the Sky (feat. Lupe Fiasco)
It's funny how my favourite song not only from this album, but from Kanye, isn't even produced by him. Just Blaze samples the classic "Move On Up" by Curtis Mayfield, creating such a fire beat as Kanye provides 2 verses with a lot of memorable lines. I grew up listening to this track, and the video has gotta be a classic in my eyes. Lupe Fiasco even jumps on this track, making his major career debut, and he freakin' killed it!

4. Gold Digger (feat. Jamie Foxx)
It's kinda like what I said about "The New Workout Plan". Great song, a classic, but a weak song on the album. That's not to discredit it though, but it's catchy AF. The hook, the sample, Jamie Foxx's contribution at the start, the verses; they are everything that makes this track memorable over 10 years later.

5. Skit #1
I gotta say, I don't mind the 4 skits on the album. Skits are known to annoy the listener, and some think the particular album would be better without it, but it actually gives a better listening experience. And this skit is hilarious! "We can't afford no gas!"

6. Drive Slow (feat. Paul Wall & GLC)
"Drive Slow" has gotta be my favourite Kanye track to vibe to (Keyword: TO VIBE TO. Doesn't mean it's better than "Touch the Sky" or "All Falls Down"). It just has that vibe for me to cruise in my imaginary car (I'm broke as fawk, boy. Plus, I'm only 14). Paul Wall & GLC come on this track, as they all spread a general message on taking life easy. Tony Williams even comes across with some great vocals. This song is so amazing! The beat is too chill, considering the "Wildflower" sample, and all 3 deliver on the track. Plus, the video creates a better vibe. Speaking of which, I think I need to watch that now.

7. My Way Home (feat. Common)
On a track that was originally meant for his album Be, Common jumps on an interlude to let out his thoughts out on home, with the theme being "Home is where the hatred is" (instead of "heart", and is also the name of the Gil Scott Heron song that is sampled here). I liked the concept of this song, and letting the sample ride out at the end was pretty good as well. It was a nice interlude to bridge the gap on the album. Noice!

8. Crack Music (feat. The Game)
On this standout, 'Ye compares the crack cocaine epidemic in America to the addiction of hip-hop in America and also touches on conspiracy theories that have to do with politics. The Game comes on the track and HE KILLS IT! Nah, I'm just playing, he's only on the hook, and he still adds a spark to it. The drums on this are just incredible, and the background vocalists do their thing to make the track complete. Plus, the instrumentation is WAYYYY too much, especially near the end.

9. Roses
Kanye switches up the vibe with a personal track, which was dedicated to his grandmother, who had a near-death experience at the time he wrote this (and dropped the album). Here, he talks about seeing his grandmother, fearing that it's be the last time he'd see her alive, and also touches on how the doctors are trying to save her. The legendary Patti LaBelle also contributes to the track on the outro, and you could feel the emotion when she sang. This track is a very deep cut, and is very great, but let's be real, it's kinda hard to listen to it, considering the unfortunate death of his own mother (RIP).

10. Bring Me Down (feat. Brandy)
"Bring Me Down" is basically a musical middle-finger to the haters who bring him down in everything he does. Brandy returns the favour from "Talk About Our Love", to sing the hook. Unfortunately though, this was a song I didn't necessarily care about. Sorry but, even if the content was good, and the build-up instrumentation was on point, I was a little underwhelmed by this track. Oh well, on to the next one!

11. Addiction
God damn, do I love this track! There's just something about it that makes it so GOOD. Here, 'Ye touches on addiction, as the title says, touching on fame, girls, money & weed; and the first line on the song says it all: "Why everything that's supposed to be bad make me feel so good?". His flow and subject matter on here is on point, and the overall song gives such a smooth and laidback vibe, especially the last verse, where he tries to ask to do a threesome (the flow on that verse was actually dope).

12. Skit #2
We broke, broke, broke, phi broke (we ain't got it!). Damn, I love these skits.

13. Diamonds from Sierra Leone (Remix) [feat. Jay Z]
Instead of putting the original version on, the remix is instead added, which is actually better than the original single version. Here, 'Ye uses the remix to go into detail on "conflict diamonds" after doing some research on how they were mined, giving the song a sense of importance. However, Jigga comes through, steering clear of politics, and instead, raps about how awesome he and his record label are; with highlight bars such as "I'm not a businessman, I'm a business, man!/Let me handle my business, damn". He straight-up kills it, even if he mentioned signees who aren't that relevant no more, hehe.

14. We Major (feat. Nas & Really Doe)
Allow me to say that this song is just EPIC. The instrumentation is too much, and Kanye, Nas & Really Doe (along with Tony Williams) give such a cinematic and big vibe to make those 7 minutes of your time worthy. Although the hook from Really Doe sounds more like a verse rather than an actual hook, Kanye really starts off very decent, but when Nas came through, he murked that beat. And then comes Tony Williams singing, making the whole track complete (I could do without the outro, although it gets me to hear Tony's singing again). This song puts me in such a happy and epic mood. It's that GOOD!

15. Skit #3
Once again, another skit, but this time, the brothers get a little personal. I think that's all that needs to be said.

16. Hey Mama
Considering the death of 'Ye's mother, Donda West, the mood changes when you listen to this song. It makes you feel for and appreciate his mother for making him become who he is today. Without her, this guy wouldn't exist, we wouldn't be hearing this album, and I probably would've been reviewing another album. This has to be one of Kanye's best songs ever, and I still love how he has his mother in his heart. RIP...

17. Celebration
I like this song a lot. The song has such a jolly and celebratory vibe, as the title suggests. Kanye provides 2 verses, which were pretty good, while John Legend does background vocal duties. I used to think it wasn't memorable, and I was only interested in the beat and hook. But with every  listen, it has gotten better. This song ROCKS!

18. Skit #4
In this skit, the brothers expose Kanye for being an impostor, as they found him with new shoes, hehe (their main point of the fraternity was to be broke and poor), and kicked him out. I think it's better to describe this skit, because it perfectly leads to this track...

19. Gone (feat. Cam'ron & Consequence)
This song basically closes off the whole album, as Kanye, Cam'ron & Consequence all deliver some of their best verses they've ever wrote. I freakin' love this song. Cam & Cons both do their thing and provide some good raps, but when that beat switched up at the end for 'Ye to rap another verse, that was when it got serious. He murked that! Easily one of my favourite verses from him. And this was such a good way to conclude the album!

The following tracks are considered to be the album's bonus tracks:

20. Diamonds from Sierra Leone
The original single version of "Diamonds from Sierra Leone" is put on the album as a bonus, and it's actually relieving to hear it, considering that I actually grew up hearing this version more. But, let's be real, the original sounds way too normal and... meh, compared to the remix. Maybe that's because Kanye managed to be schooled on "conflict diamonds", and hearing this now, it was better for the remix to be on this album.

21. Late
My favourite out of the bonuses. This track is just too smooth and relaxing. The violin intro got me hooked onto the song, and then just hearing the sample got me amazed, even to make the sample sound like it was saying "I'll be late for that" (when it was actually "I'll erase away..."). Hearing this makes me wonder why it wasn't added onto the regular tracklist and instead was a bonus. "Bring Me Down" was better not on the album, to be honest, and even "Gold Digger" should've been cut... wait, I'm kinda reaching when I say that. Maybe not that song, but this track could've easily been added. One of my favourites on the album and it's a hidden track.

Late Registration has easily got to be my favourite album from Kanye. With every listen, it gets freakin' better than it was the first few times I've heard it. Yeah, The College Dropout is a fire album, and I've started to love it more than ever before. But this, THIS is just amazing. Late Registration shows the quick and natural progression in 'Ye, as he started to change his sound. The often-imitated "chipmunk soul" sound was reduced on here, and instead was replaced by epic instrumentation, better people to hold him up on the album, and great samples for 'Ye to choose from. It was an album that felt refreshing, compared to his other albums (My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is the only album of his that musically comes close to this), and has to be Kanye's most complete work. The skits on here add a spark to the album, and isn't one to annoy the listener. In fact, they're actually memorable. And there's only 1 or 2 tracks that I think are mediocre. There isn't any filler AT ALL! From start to finish, what we hear is a complete refreshing album, that was made with a budget of $2m. Buy this album NOW! No matter how many times I touch this album, it'll never get old. NEVER! That's how great it is. It's interesting that the most successful rapper signed by Jay-Z is the guy that used to exclusively sit behind the boards.

Recommendable Tracks
Touch the Sky
Heard 'Em Sky
Drive Slow
Crack Music
Addiction
Diamonds from Sierra Leone (Remix)
Late
Hey Mama
Gone
We Major

And now...

Released: September 11, 2007

Immediately after the release of Late Registration, Kanye started working on his third album, Graduation. Already by late September, he had completed 3 tracks. Around the time of recording, he was listening to a lot of people for inspiration: singers such as Bob Dylan & Johnny Cash for introspection and augmenting his wordplay/storytelling ability, along with bands like U2 and The Rolling Stones for melody and chord progression. With this, he decided to incorporate synthesizer sounds into his production and dabbled with electronic music, while sampling a wider spectrum of musical genres. During this though, he was touring with U2 on the Vertigo Tour from 2005 to 2006.

When Graduation's release date of September 11 was announced, it was quickly put into a sales battle with 50 Cent's Curtis, as they were both releasing on the same day. Both albums garnered major publicity, and big promotion, with 50 even saying he'd retire if he didn't sell more than 'Ye (which didn't even happened, haha). And then the day came...

Graduation was the third installment of the planned education-themed album tetralogy (but unfortunately, ended up actually being the final installment... well, as of now, I think). Released on September 11, 2007 (aka the 6th anniversary of... you know what), it was another distinctive progression in his musical style and approach to production, as he incorporates synthesizer sounds into his production and dabbles with electronic music, while sampling a wider spectrum of musical genres. Lyrically, Graduation is more introspective in comparison to its predecessors, as West dedicated much of the album towards analyzing himself and conveying his ambivalent outlook on his newfound fame, continuing the education theme of The College Dropout and Late Registration. Unlike the previous two albums, the album was known to be short on features, getting Mos Def, Lil Wayne, T-Pain & Dwele. Plus, there's an absence of skits, leading to more music (there was actually supposed to be 2 musical interludes on here, but were actually omitted on the final product. I would've loved to hear them).

The album received positive reception from critics for its experimentation, production and content, but unlike Late Registration, mostly received 4/5 ratings from companies like AllMusic, The Guardian & Spin. As for the sales battle with 50 Cent's Curtis, Graduation managed to win the battle, debuting at #1, selling 957k in its first week (with 50's album selling 691k copies and debuting at #2). This was marked a turning point in hip-hop, proving that the dominance of gangsta rap was brought to an end, paving the way for new rappers who weren't following the hardcore gangster style. Not only was Graduation his highest first sales week to date (surpassing the 860k opening week of his previous album Late Registration), but was the highest first week sales week for any album in 2007, topping Linkin Park's Minutes to Midnight, which sold 625k copies.

Anyway, was this the best of the trilogy? Or was it great, but wasn't any Late Registration? Let's see...

1. Good Morning

Please notice the fact that when you start the album, there is no opening skit and no sign of the fake Bernie Mac aka DeRay Davis. As a matter of fact, there is no skits on this album AT ALL. What is used as an opening track is a relaxing and chill song you could use to get through the day. Even the video with the Dropout Bear animation is sick, and makes the whole song better. A good opening track to the album.

2. Champion
This song is catchy AF. Containing a funky vibe and some reggae influence, 'Ye raps about a range of things, such as his success and how Lauryn Hill has been absent for some time, while spreading a positive and motivating message of working hard and trying to be successful. Connie Mitchell comes through and sings the bridge near the end, adding a jolly and Summer-like vibe. One of my favourites on this album!

3. Stronger
One's of 'Ye's biggest singles, which samples the classic Daft Punk track, "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger". With its electronic and clubby feel to it, I'm surprised I still love this track. I remember being younger when this came out, and I just liked it. Nowadays, I appreciate it more. It's something meant for the clubs, and was more of a party/getdown song than a lyrical track. Yeah, the Daft Punk song is obviously better, but damn, is this song fire!

4. I Wonder
The vibes are in full effect on this one as 'Ye samples a Labi Siffre track to make a motivating track, that touches on his dreams and success, while creating an emotional scene of a girl who went back to her hometown after having an argument with her man. This song was very interesting, and Kanye's flow on this was amazing. Labi's sampled voice suited the track just fine and the song had such a dreamy and relatable feel. The meaning in this song is too much. This has to be one of the best songs on the album!

5. Good Life (feat. T-Pain)
I think we should all know this song by now, unless you're living under a rock or something. The sampling of Michael Jackson's classic "PYT", along with an interpolation from The College Dropout track, "School Spirit", Kanye & T-Pain hook up for a feelgood song to contemplate the finer things in life; while telling his haters to continue hating as he watches them, continuing to make more money. Almost 9 years later, and this song is still a freakin' tune. It's one to make me happy, and continue on life, and I have a lot of memories from it, especially the creative video.

6. Can't Tell Me Nothing
I remember one time, I think 2008 or '09, I searched this song up, after randomly finding it on Wikipedia. I never remembered it playing on my TV, apart from "Stronger" and "Good Life", so I listened to it, and I loved it ever since. Of course, due to my search for more good music (no pun intended) as I got older, I haven't banged it out like I used to. But shit, this song is still banging! With background vocals from Jeezy, Kanye makes an anthem to celebrate success, and also shout out critics & haters, over a dark and booming beat. Fire!!!!

7. Barry Bonds (feat. Lil Wayne)
'Ye gets Lil Wayne on the album for a brag-rap exchange, as the two rap about their flashy high-cash lifestyles, and the fact that they make successful hits (Kanye still makes hits, Wayne, on the other hand, er... he's kinda lacking). 'Ye was decent on his verse, but damn, did Weezy snap on this one! Hearing bars like "My teeth and my ice so white like Shady" and "I'm so f***ing good like I'm sleeping with Meagan" just makes me reminisce about the days when Wayne was killing it. GOD DAMN! Another one of my favourites.

8. Drunk and Hot Girls (feat. Mos Def)
I honestly think this song is just too overhated. Yeah, if you ask me, it's easily the most mediocre song of the album, but some just trash it like it's the worst he has ever made, when it's just... average. Now about the song, it's not as good compared to the majority of the album, and Kanye was lacking on this one. In fact, Mos Def's contribution on this track was the most disappointing part. I fully wanted to hear him rap, not just sing on the hook, and make a below average singing verse. I was utterly disgusted! Not really, but I wasn't really happy with that. Plus, I hate the fact that it runs for 5 minutes, considering how average it is. Anyway, on to the next one!

9. Flashing Lights (feat. Dwele)
The electronic-influenced "Flashing Lights" gets Dwele on the hook while 'Ye rhymes about the flighty, capricious ex-girlfriend he can’t stop thinking about. This "girl" seems to be a parable, representing the public, and how Kanye is addicted to the fame and public attention. Dwele helps with the hook, making the subject more interesting as he says that he and the "girl" wasn't expecting to have such need for attention. It's an interesting track, and gives such a good vibe.

10. Everything I Am (feat. DJ Premier)
No, Premo doesn't provide a beat or actually has a rapping verse on here (which would've been the most awkward thing to hear), but instead, has some dope scratches on there. Here, Kanye explains that his personality was the reason he is here today, and how he was one of the big stars that made it out from Chicago. And seriously, hearing this song and what he said was right. I honestly think without 'Ye pushing himself to become a rapper and even being one to talk about social issues, we wouldn't be hearing these albums today. The subject matter on here was too much, and 'Ye really delivered on this one. Another great track!

11. The Glory
This song is just freaking beautiful! On this song, Kanye samples a soulful track, which takes a throwback to his "chipmunk soul" style in his early years of his career. Here, Kanye provides two verses, which focuses confidently on himself, how great he is, and his ability to make successful hits; also his position in the rap game, considering the Grammy's and success he has had. He even reflects on leaving a legacy, and how he wants to be compared to the greats like Biggie, Pac, Big Pun and Big L, when he dies. Damn tho, this song has to be my top favourite on the album! The beat is just amazing, Kanye lyrically delivered, and hearing that soul sample was just beautiful...

12. Homecoming (feat. Chris Martin)
Another one of my favourites from Kanye. Before I actually listened to this album in full, I used to put this on repeat. That's how much I loved this song. Getting Coldplay's Chris Martin on hook duties, 'Ye uses an extended metaphor to show his love for Chicago, pretending as if it was a lost girlfriend, and even uses a line from the Common classic "I Used to Love H.E.R.". Kanye's storytelling on this was just interesting, as he wonders if the city still thinks of him as he's touring, making dope albums and hits, and winning Grammies. The piano loop is fire, and Chris really did well on the hook too!

13. Big Brother
With DJ Toomp on producing duties this time, Kanye dedicates this closing track to the one and only Jay Z as he details the ups and downs of his working relationship with him, from how he used to look up to him to managing to be a producer for him and even signing a deal with him to make dope albums. Kanye tells a story so interesting and deep, that it's very nice to really hear his side of things and how his relationship with Jay has turned out to be. A great concluding song on the album.

The following is a bonus track:

14. Good Night (feat. Mos Def & Al Be Back)
Once again, Mos Def is on singing hook duties, while Kanye and fellow Al Be Back rap about their shit. Kanye about nostalgic memories and dreams, and Al repeating his 4 lines twice. It's a decent bonus track and Kanye delivered, but I never really cared for it much. However, I've started to like it more now.

Graduation has to be the most straightforward album out of the whole trilogy. It's another that shows Kanye's progress throughout his career, and his ability to make good music (again, no pun intended) is just too much. From start to finish, Kanye doesn't fail to deliver, with no skits in between or a big bunch of guest appearances. Kanye manages to keep things short and sweet instead of filling the whole album with 13-15 tracks and over 7 skits, and even with the small amount of features, Kanye still does well. Speaking of which, the features really add a lot to the album. Lil Wayne killed it on "Barry Bonds". Mos Def, although disappointing, actually did a good job on both "Drunk and Hot Girls" and "Good Night". And hearing Chris Martin & T-Pain on their respective hooks for "Good Life" and "Homecoming" was very appealing. It may not be the best Kanye album (Late Registration and My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy got those spots), but it's damn sure still a great ass album. Buy this album! This is another dope album from Kanye, and proves how great Kanye is. From start to finish, this album is FUEGO!!! And although not intended to, was the best way to end the trilogy,

The Spectacular Se7en
The Glory
Homecoming
I Wonder
Champion
Good Morning
Barry Bonds
Can't Tell Me Nothing

Quickie: Bryson Tiller - T R A P S O U L

Released: October 2, 2015

So, I took a little break. Awwww, I know y'all miss me, even if no one probably read my freakin' reviews. I've been focusing on school and revision since the start of the month, which led me to not finish my Rapsody review (don't worry, I've pushed it back to March). So, I'm on this one.

October 9, 2014. The day everything changed. Kentucky singer Bryson Tiller was nothing but your normal guy on SoundCloud, tryna make it big, when he released "Don't". He ended up deleting it as he thought it wasn't his best. However, that led to more people calling him up to reupload it, and when he did, everyone actually were digging the track. It would get even better when Drake and Timbaland cosigned it, during the middle of 2015, which attracted more audiences, specifically girls. The major attention got him to a deal with RCA, making Tiller feel comfortable to release another gem, "Exchange" in September, as he announced his debut with RCA, T R A P S O U L for an October release.

T R A P S O U L first premiered in late September on Apple's streaming service, Apple Music, before being out to the public on October 2. The album is Tiller's debut, which was released 4 years after his 2011 mixtape, Killer Instinct (which not many actually know about), and sees the singer riding through the whole album by himself. With songs like "Don't" and "Exchange", we see Tiller bring out a very unique style, merging the banging 808s production with his ambient and chill singing. He goes through a very interesting subject matter, especially when it comes to his newfound success and his business with ladies. The transition from the "Intro (Difference)" to "Let Em' Know" is a prime example. We hear a blurred out instrumental in the first, as Tiller tries to tell a girl that she's different, only to hear a banger on the latter, as he warns everyone that "it's time", as if he's playing no games, as he comes into the music industry.

Most of T R A P S O U L is full of bangers, whether smooth or hardcore, such as the already-mentioned "Let Em' Know". the wavey "Don't", and the slow jam "Exchange". Tiller is very introspective with his subject matter, which manages to go through trying to get a second chance from a girl or seeing how a girl has switched up on him ever since he's gotten famous. With 14 tracks, it's enough to really get his feelings and thoughts out on the album.

Tiller tries a bit of rapping, as he puts on the hardcore bangers for us guys. "Ten Nine Fourteen" is one of my favourite songs, where he raps about his success ever since releasing "Don't", and is a very smooth one, with a killer bass, and a looped sample from a classic Keith Sweat song. "Rambo" is a full-on banger, and the bass is too much on that one. But damn, was I feeling "502 Come Up"! That shit banged, and it really saw Tiller at a very comfortable feel. And "Sorry Not Sorry" is just the anthem for the dudes to say "F U" to the girls that never messed with them until they started popping.

There's also some smooth and more serious tracks on the album too. The short track, "For However Long" is one that showcases his talent a lot, and although I personally think it could've been better, it was still a fine cut on the album. The single, "Exchange" is a serious track, mixing a classic dance sample (KP & Envyi's Swing My Way) with a dark/blurred out feel. "Been That Way" follows Tiller crooning to a past lover that he hasn't changed at all and that he still loves her. The closer, "Right My Wrongs", is slow, sombre and serious, focusing over an argument with his girl, and it's a good way to end it, considering how smooth and calm it sounds, with the sample.

The production on here is so refreshing and innovative, that I love it so freakin' much! The way the album can transition from a slow jam like "Exchange" to a full-on banger like "502 Come Up" is just amazing. I really liked the beat on "Ten Nine Fourteen", that shit really bumped, and Syk Sense flipped that "Nobody" sample well. "Let Em' Know" is another one that I appreciated for its production. It gave a very interesting vibe to it, and there's times where I can blast it non-stop! While I didn't like "Overtime" to be honest, I couldn't deny the fire beat provided on there. And why would I forget the one and only "Don't"? That shit was freakin' wavy, and so ambient, and even if this song is overplayed by the girls and the memes, it's still an impressive song.

T R A P S O U L overall is an album I can vibe to. It's wavy, it's smooth, it's calm, and it's full of bangers, whether for the ladies or for the men. From start to finish, this album is FUEGO! Everything about it was amazing, and Bryson showed off a lot here. It was definitely a reason why I really liked 2015, in terms of music. Hopefully, Tiller can pull off another T R A P S O U L II this year!

Best Songs: "Don't", "Exchange", "Ten Nine Fourteen", "Right My Wrongs", "502 Come Up", "Rambo, "Sorry Not Sorry"

2015: A Year In Review

It's that time again. We reach the end of a year, and it's the period where everybody discusses on website forums, WhatsApp group chats or together, about what that year has done. Whether it was good or bad. Many either choose a certain topic to focus on from that year, maybe "20__ in music" or "in film". But since this blog focuses on music, mainly hip-hop & R&B, you should know what I'm focusing on.

When we ended 2014, everyone was ranting about how mediocre it was. Although we saw G-Unit finally reunite after a long period, people only named a few highlight projects of it, such as Isaiah Rashad's Cilvia Demo, Freddie Gibbs & Madlib's Piñata, Mick Jenkins' The Water[s], the collaboration with Royce Da 5'9" & DJ Premier aka PRhyme, and J. Cole's classic album, 2014 Forest Hills Drive. Hip-hop fans could only name 4-6 highlights, unlike other years, where they could've think of more than 5 (mostly 10 good albums). Not only that, last year was the beginning of the social media era, where annoying songs came and went, such as the incarcerated Bobby Shmurda's "Hot Nigga" and OG Maco's "U Guessed It!", and trust me, it was annoying as hell. Not many legends were dropping. Where was Nas? Would Lupe finally drop an album? What about Dr. Dre? And I've been waiting too damn long for Jeremih to release a freaking album!

So when Rae Sremmurd announced their album, we were all hyped cos we needed something to bang in the whip, and vibe to. But, fans started to get happy that 2015 would be the opposite of what last year was, when Lupe Fiasco finally was gonna release Tetsuo & Youth, along with Joey Bada$$ dropping his debut album, B4.DA.$$. Hip-hop heads got both these albums on the same day (January 20), and they started a debate about which was better, and what they liked about it. It went to February, and surprise, surprise, Drake dropped a "mixtape" out of nowhere (you should know why I put quotations marks on the word, mixtape) called If You're Reading This It's Too Late, and damn, was we fed with some good music on that day (February 13). A fortnight later, Big Sean followed up his period of showing off his lyricism more with a third album, Dark Sky Paradise, with positive reviews that were happy that Sean improved his sound on this one, instead of coming with mediocre and cringeworthy bars.
By March, we saw the year was getting better. Kendrick Lamar tweeted a link to an album with hardly any details, apart from it saying "untitled" with his name on it, and the planned release date of March 23. That would later become the critically-acclaimed To Pimp A Butterfly, which was pushed forward to March 15. A week after, Earl Sweatshirt would release IDLSIDGO, along with Action Bronson's Mr. Wonderful. And Ludacris & Wale released their highly-anticipated albums, Ludaversal & The Album About Nothing. April saw releases like the (also) highly-anticipated Pilot Talk III from Curren$y. Cherry Bomb and Barter 6.

We were getting more quality albums along the way. In May, Snoop Dogg released his funky collab with Pharrell called Bush and A$AP Rocky released his sophomore, At.Long.Last.A$AP. And even if J Dilla & Baatin are gone, and Elzhi left, Slum Village still continued the legacy as a duo (T3 & Young RJ), and released YES! in June and Meek Mill released the highly-anticipated Dreams Worth More Than Money. Future was having one hell of a year, dropping projects non-stop like Beast Mode, 56 Nights and DS2. And the fact that Dr. Dre released a freaking album after scrapping Detox, surprised me, and it was worth it! Even Jay Rock did, The Game released the sequel to his classic album, and at the end of the year, Jeremih dropped, along with Logic, Freddie Gibbs, Pusha T and Fabolous!

With the quality music being dropped, what about the general shit? Well, remember when I said 2014 was the beginning of the annoying social media era. Last year saw the annoying songs and the recycled Vines trending, and everybody forcing it down till another trend came. The same thing happened this year, and it was worse! I just watched this year's YouTube Rewind not long ago, and it was SOOOOOOOO bad! Seriously, the title, "Watch Me 2015" just makes me cringe, and the trends used on there was so corny, especially watching people Whip & Nae-Nae (where was the Dab? Billy Bounce? There was more better trends than this). It was a video that showed how shit this year was other than in music.

I noticed more than that though: Fanbases are freaking CRAZY!!! And everyone gets emotional these days. We should all know about the Drake & Meek Mill beef that happened earlier this Summer. Drake won and all, and the way Meek responded to all this was just... *sighs* (especially after everyone was loving DWMTM, and that he couldn't back up his ghostwriting argument), but the annoying part were the Drake stans. They pretty much proved how bad they are as a fanbase (even worse than the Beyhive, God damn). They were going ham on Meek, spamming him with anything that related to Drake (battery and diamond emojis and I know when Views for The 6 is about to drop, they're also about to spam him with praying hands or something). I mean, they were overrating Drake, calling him the GOAT in rap. and saying "don't come at the 6 God ever" (as if there are not any better rappers in this generation). What was even worse was that recently, he's in some serious issues that may lead him to jail, and all because of some stupid ass beef, they want him to spend time in prison (I even saw a guy comment that he hopes he get raped. I'm freaking speechless). Damn, they really didn't like it when Meek accused him of not writing his own shit.
I felt that more people started to get very VERY emotional on social media! Like, so what if a guy talks shit about your favourite rapper, does it give you the right to go and just react like a little kid? Black Twitter, along with Instagram, have started the trend #WhitePeopleWednesday, that took a light jab at white people and the funny stuff that they do on camera. Some whites ran along with it, laughed and continued that trend, while some just started crying like a bitch, and taking it as racist. Like, the amount of flags people with many followers' posts got just because they were laughing at it.

Overall, 2015 has been a good year. Apart from some BS, such as school thoughts and the social media issues, everything has gone well. We had some quality music, and not to mention, some amazing films. I was going out and about every now and then, watching Avengers; Age of Ultron, Fast & Furious 7, Pitch Perfect 2, the long-awaited Star Wars: The Force Awakens and of course, Straight Outta Compton. 2015 has made me very happy, and the amount of albums I had to catch up with was too damn high. Hence why I'm counting down my top 20 favourite albums of the year. However, I ain't reviewing them cos it's gonna be too much work. So here it is:

20. Future - Dirty Sprite 2 (6/10)
19. Drake & Future - What A Time To Be Alive (6.5/10)
18. Mick Jenkins - Wave[s] (7/10)
17. Travi$ Scott - Rodeo (7/10)
16. Fabolous - Summertime Shootout (7.5/10)
15. Kehlani - You Should Be Here (7.5/10)
14. Rapper Big Pooh & Nottz - Home Sweet Home (8/10)
13. A$AP Rocky - At.Long.Last.A$AP (8/10)
12. Bryson Tiller - T R A P S O U L (8.5/10)

11. Drake - If You're Reading This It's Too Late (8.5/10)

10. Big Sean - Dark Sky Paradise (8.5/10)
9. Dr. Dre - Compton (9/10)
8. Logic - The Incredible True Story (9/10)
7. Joey Bada$$ - B4.DA.$$ (9/10)
6. Jeremih - Late Nights: The Album (9.5/10)
5. Big K.R.I.T. - It's Better This Way (9.5/10)

4. Mac Miller - GO:OD AM (9.5/10)

3. Pusha T - King Push: Darkest Before Dawn (The Prelude) [10/10]
2. Lupe Fiasco - Tetsuo & Youth (10/10)
1. KENDRICK LAMAR - TO PIMP A BUTTERFLY (10/10!)

Honourable Mentions:
Game - The Documentary 2
Jay Rock - 90059
Freddie Gibbs - Shadow of a Doubt
Curren$y - Pilot Talk III + Canal Street Confidential
Rick Ross - Black Dollar + Black Market
Lloyd Banks - Halloween Havoc 2
Young Thug - Barter 6

So there you have it. My top 20 albums of the year + my honourable mentions. I gotta say, 2015 really gave us a lot. From Lupe Fiasco to Pusha T, it wasn't just a year of shitty music from aspiring SoundCloud artists. We had quality music, even from the people that we normally hate. Chief Keef delivered, Mac did, Kendrick did, Drake did, and everybody did. This was my top 20 favourite projects, and sorry if you're upset that one of the honourable mentions didn't make it onto the list (keep in mind that YOU can make your own if you want to). It was very hard choosing the top 20, and I went through a lot of changes just to make this great and nice for myself.

Anyway, will 2016 be a drought? We may have had a lot, but we're even speculating that next year will be EVEN better. Lupe Fiasco is dropping 3 albums in 2016, Drake's VFT6 is gonna be out anytime. Mick Jenkins is finna drop The Healing Component. Pusha is gonna drop the highly-anticipated King Push. And of course: Lloyd Banks. The Cold Corner 3 is due out anytime soon, as since it didn't drop this year, we're expecting a 2016 release.

Due to this post, there won't be any New Year's Review tomorrow. I worked real hard on this, and messed up my priorities. Be sure to look out for a review on Rapsody on January 16. In the meantime, may you have a great year this coming 2016.

Adios...

Owen

Big K.R.I.T. - Return of 4Eva

Released: March 28, 2011

It's been a long time since I've touched a project from K.R.I.T., I mean, I'm a little late on listening to his discography, although I've listened to both Cadillactica & his new project, It's Better This Way, yet I still enjoy his music and respect him as one of the best new school artists. But, it's about time that I continue where I left off with K.R.I.T. Wuz Here [back in February], and go on to his next project, Return of 4Eva.

R4 was released after being on the 2011 XXL Freshman list, among the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Meek Mill, Diggy Simmons & Mac Miller, and was a follow-up to the critically-acclaimed K.R.I.T. Wuz Here. Like the previous tape, it was self-produced, and features a little more major and legendary features from Big SANT, Chamillionaire, David Banner, Ludacris & Bun B, Joi and Raheem DeVaughn. The mixtape was promoted with videos for "The Vent", the remix of "Country Shit" with Ludacris & Bun B, "R4 (Theme Song)" and tour vlogs.

The mixtape, like K.R.I.T Wuz Here, was also critically-acclaimed, with HipHopDX calling it "emotive, conceptual music" and a Slant Magazine editor saying it was "the rap album to beat in 2011". R4 was also named 32nd best album of 2011 by Rolling Stone, 27th by Spin, and a honourable mention by Pitchfork. It would later be re-released as a retail EP, with a remix of the K.R.I.T. Wuz Here standout, "Moon & Stars" with Curren$y & Killa Kyleon. Many see this as one of his best work, among his later work, such as 4EvaNaDay and Cadillactica.

Anyway, let's get this started...

1. R4 (Intro)
The mixtape starts with a chill and relaxed opening, which see Krizzle rap a little verse over live instrumentation, with the drums, trumpets and bass. It was a good introduction and all, but as you listen to this mixtape, you're not gonna hear this more than once.

2. Rise and Shine
A good positive song which you can easily wake up to, depending on your music taste in hip-hop. Krizzle provides two great verses that keep a positive and light feeling, with some dope scratches during the hook and the end. The beat is pretty good and hits a little hard. Overall, it's just a funky track to get your day started.

3. R4 (Theme Song)
I remember playing this randomly in my tuition class. This song hit me hard, and I wanted to show my happy face when hearing this and just wild out to it. But, I ain't embarrassing myself in front of younger (and older) people. Anyway, this song BANGS!!!!!! This that shit you can bump in the whip and just ride out to. The production is hard-hitting like a mother... and the sample-chopping was way on point with this one. Krizzle's verses on this song were great, and that flow was amazing. It's relaxing, and as I wrote this, I was fully vibing to this shit. One of my favourites on this tape.

4. Dreamin'
K.R.I.T. reminisces about his days before becoming a rapper, and how that has got him to where he is now. The beat is relaxing, and the song creates a positive vibe and gives some motivation to the listeners, to push themselves to what they want to do. I really liked this song. The concept was interesting and very inspiring, and the sample fitted the concept, especially when the vocals of the original fittingly went with the hook. Great song!

5. Rotation
This that music for the whip. Get yourself a whip, play this song out loud on your day off, and act like you don't give a shit at all. Shake your head to it, and just vibe. The verses are alright, the beat BANGS!!! And K.R.I.T really impressed me on this one.

6. My Sub
The first out of a 3-part series (or maybe not, God knows, there may be more parts to come), which is another banger on the mixtape. It once again sees K.R.I.T. just make a song about him feeling good, and riding out. The beat SLAPS, and his verses and flow is intact on this one. The melody is great, and the vibe is too much on this one, overall making a catchy ass banger!

7. Sookie Now (feat. David Banner)
AWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!! This shit BANGS HARD AS FAWW.... Excuse my French. This song is amazing. I was fully dancing to this when this randomly played on my iPad, cos of how great this song was. The hook is catchy, and gives a better vibe than the 2 previous bangers, considering that this is both from 2 Southern rappers (from Mississippi). I can imagine Krizzle performing this live, and if I was to see him do it, I would get gassed. Krizzle did well with his verses, but damn, David Banner killed it. His flow was on point, and gave a really good turn-up feel to it, while at the same time, giving some meaningful lyricism (talking about all the black Mississippians that have passed away). This song is just... SENSATIONAL (*Future voice*)!

8. American Rapstar
A serious and smooth joint, which focuses on dealing with hardships & struggles of being a rapper in America, considering that you can easily make hits in this generation. The sample gives a sombre and sad feeling, as Krizzle thinks about how he won't change for the money, and also worrying that he may get shot or killed like Pac & Biggie. It's a joint that is still relatable today,

9. Highs & Lows
I heard this, while going out with my friends on Halloween (this year, Halloween fell on a weekend, me and my friends did not go trick-n-treating), but I never really payed attention to it till now, and only focused on the beat. But, unlike his other sombre and deep cuts, Krizzle provides a beat that smoothly bangs, as he talks about how life can have its ups and downs, hence "Highs & Lows". The hook is very soulful, and has a nostalgic feel to it, especially when the bridge kicks in near the end. I freaking love this song! One of KRIT's best songs.

10. Shake It (feat. Joi)
Singer Joi comes on this funky ass song, which you can bang both in your whip and the club. It's a song which easily makes you feel good, and hearing Joi on the hook with Krizzle was really nice. The verses on here were fire, and God damn, that beat! I just think it feels short, and if Krizzle added an extra verse after the bridge, it would've been just fine.

11. Made A Lot (feat. Big SANT)
This standout sees both Krizzle & SANT voice their views on how people comparing them to their "former selves", thinking that they've changed. Krizzle's flow on this was pretty good, and he started off great with the verse. SANT was actually good on this, but it's when they share a verse together is where they both kill it, especially Krit. The beat was amazing on this one, and it really carries the two very well on this. Another standout!!!

12. Lions & Lambs
Another sombre and deep song, which sees him thinking about life in a sorrow way, especially when his voice is a little quieter and cheerless. His 2 verses were alright, but he really killed it on his third verse, especially when the drums are reversed. The sombre piano is on point and is really fitting with the song, and it's just a song where you can just listen to it with no distractions.

13. Kings Blues
This one sees Krizzle reminisce about his struggles & hardships, with an Erykah Badu sample on the hook. The scratches on this got me hooked on to this song, and his flow really got on with it as well. I just wished that Krizzle would've had more verses on here cos it feels too short. I still love it tho!

14. Time Machine (feat. Chamillionaire)
Chamillionaire isn't known as a rapper anymore. He's been making a lot of great music, but even to this day, he'll be forever known as the guy who made "Ridin'". So it was surprising seeing Krizzle hook up with Cham, considering if he even knows what he's capable of. On this highlight here, we see Krizzle reminisce about the lessons in his youth, while riding in his whip. This one's a freaking banger, and I'm really impressed with the verses on this song. It's one that you can bump your head to, but at the same time, kinda relate to his words. Cham's verse on this was pretty good, which sees him voice his opinion on some shit, before shouting out UGK (RIP Pimp C). The instrumental on this was amazing, and the concept here was really interesting.

15. Get Right
A song that you can vibe to. It has that West Coast feel, while also bringing that Southern flavour to it. It reminds me of the previous "Gumpshun" on K.R.I.T. Wuz Here, but this one BANGS HARD! And is better than that song. I can have a great time with this, and the verses just get you to feel positive and just ease your mind. BAAAANNNGER!!!!!

16. Amtrak
A love song (that smoothly bangs), which is named after the train service. that sees Krizzle wanting a woman to come back & spend the night and... you know. I can't say much about this other than the fact that it's smooth as hell, it's a funky ass banger, and that I freaking love it!!!

17. Players Ballad (feat. Raheem DeVaughn)
A feel-good song that heavily has references to the classic OutKast song, "Player's Ball", with Raheem DeVaughn on the hook. The song has deep and smooth production from Krizzle himself, and if you're looking for a song that can easily pick up women, this is the one for you. Krizzle's verses are on point, and his flow is more impressive and refreshing. One of my favourites on this tape. Play on, Playa!

18. Another Naive Individual Glorifying Greed & Encouraging Racism
With the title being the full name of the acronym, "Another N.I.G.G.E.R", over a sombre and sad instrumental, Krizzle makes a very personal song about how he doesn't want to be a "nigger", and his 3 verses expand on what he doesn't want to become. While the 2 verses really explained this very well, the third verse really got to me, as he describes someone who has now become famous, but has forgot where he came from. It's one of Krizzle's best verses which really hit my heart, and interested me with the concept. The song was really interesting. The beat didn't fail to impress me and the fact that he really expressed his opinions of "being another nigga". One of KRIT's best songs!

19. Free My Soul
On this track, KRIT takes time out to criticize the entertainment and music industry, how sometimes having riches isn't always enough for your soul to be free, and overlook very good artists. It's another sombre song that is relatable to this generation, and I actually mess with it. It's not really something I'd play over and over again though.

20. The Vent
Arguably Krizzle's best song ever made, Point Blank, PERIOD! Here, being a personal lament to his late grandmother, over a beat that kinda reminds me of the ambient Noah "40" Shebib production, he speaks about his struggles, such as his brother dying, a beautiful women overlooking him because she wanted a thug, and how this generation is like nowadays. The bridge/outro however, looks at things a different way as if he's directly speaking to the grandmother (as she has passed away), along with his fans, Yeah, his singing isn't good, but it's very bearable for this song right here, considering how personal this song is. The content on here was amazing, and I really liked how Krizzle took this. A great conclusion, and the best song on the album.

The following is a bonus track:

21. Country Shit (Remix) [feat. Ludacris & Bun B]
Southern legends Ludacris & Bun B jump on the remix of the standout off Krizzle's previous mixtape, K.R.I.T. Wuz Here, and they do not fail to make it better than the original. As a matter of fact, I played this one before I heard the original. Over the same instrumental (because why mess it up with a completely new beat?), Luda starts off like it's nothing, with a verse that had me rocking my head a lot. Krizzle comes with a new verse, which was honestly better than the rest (considering that the guests on the remix normally do better). Bun B comes through with a verse that really pays a good homage to the Southern shit. His flow was better than the rest, and was my favourite verse on here. Everything about this remix was good, and really impressed me more than the original. Get a sub and bang this out while you go to work.

Return of 4Eva sees Krizzle at his very finest. It's such a great follow-up to K.R.I.T. Wuz Here, and sees him mastering his sound and knowing where he is now. Krizz knows how to make his content have a balance, whether it's club bangers, shit you can bump in the whip or some deep cuts, and that makes R4 very entertaining.
First off, we see Krizzle improve his lyrics here, and his verses start to easily get to you. His 3rd verse on "Another N.I.G.G.E.R" (because I can't be arsed to type down the full name) is amazing, and gives a better insight on the song's concept. And "Made A Lot" sees him share a verse with Sant at the end, with Krizz having impressive bars here & there. Also, the verses on "Dreamin'" sees Krizzle at a soft and emotional state of mind, thinking about his career and his success.

The production is on point, not to mention. We see very deep and relaxing production on "Highs & Lows", and slapping drums on "Get Right". The bass is too much on "Amtrak", and an ambient beat, reminiscent of 40, is provided on "The Vent". While we've seen that Krizzle can lead a mixtape on his own, the features were very necessary, and added a touch to it. Raheem DeVaughn's hook gives a chill vibe on "Players Ballad"; David Banner's verse gives a feelgood vibe, while also spitting some knowledge & history on "Sookie Now", and Chamillionaire was fire on the banger "Time Machine". Big Sant also came through on the standout, "Made A Lot", and last, but not least, Luda & Bun! God damn, did they kill on the "Country Shit" remix.

Return of 4Eva, overall, is arguably Krizzle's best work, and you can see why from this. His style has mastered, and it's an entertaining mood-changer, and while you wouldn't like your mood being changed, you'd still love it! If you're looking for bangers to bump in the whip, this is for you. if you're looking for relaxing shit, this is for you. If you're looking for lyrical and personal cuts, this is for you. R4 gives you everything you need, and is a prime example of why Krizzle is a top 5 new school artist. It's just sad how underrated he is.

Recommended Tracks
The Vent
Sookie Now
R4 (Theme Song)
Country Shit (Remix)
Dreamin'
Amtrak
Highs & Lows
Another Naive Individual Glorifying Greed & Encouraging Racism
Made A Lot
Time Machine
Players Ballad
My Sub
Everything on here is recommendable!

Slum Village - Trinity (Past, Present and Future)

Released: August 13, 2002

From the six month span between my Fantastic, Vol. 2 review and this one, Slum Village has been one of my favourite groups to listen to. There's never been a day I haven't played a song from them. And it's been a while since I've focused on them, and now it feels so damn good to review another one of their albums.

SV released their long-awaited debut, Fantastic, Vol. 2, in 2000, featuring some of their most popular songs, whether it was "Fall In Love" or "Players". The album was critically-acclaimed, getting some mainstream and underground recognition, with J Dilla starting to get a lot of shine while T3 & Baatin were praised for their rhymes (although some felt their lyrical content wasn't that good). In early 2001, Dilla released his solo album, Welcome 2 Detroit, which was supposed to be a showcase of Detroit artists like Phat Kat, Frank-N-Dank, Dwele and more. A few months later, Dilla thought it would be a good idea to leave the group to pursue what would be a very successful career.

Instead of becoming a duo after Dilla's departure. T3 & Baatin decided to try and replace him with another third member. After some time of searching, they found a young boy called Jason Powers aka Elzhi. After failing to release his EP, Out of Focus in 1998, El secured a feature on J Dilla's Welcome 2 Detroit on the standout, "Come Get It", gaining little recognition for his contribution. T3 & Baatin were quick to get him, and started working on their album. While the group quietly released their promo compilation, Dirty District, in June, in anticipation for the album; it was when the album's first single, "Tainted" with Dwele, was released, with many fans being shocked about Elzhi being the replacement. Fans were wondering that now that Dilla was gone and replaced by El, they weren't gonna maintain the vibe that made Slum Village what they were in the first place. They were trying to see what Elzhi would bring to the group, and what he's capable of. A week after the single release, Trinity (Past, Present and Future). finally dropped, and those questions were answered.

Trinity was their sophomore album, released mid-August 2002, already being led by the single "Tainted". It was the first time their line-up had changed, and Elzhi was officially the replacement for Dilla. When "Tainted" came out, fans were shocked about El, as they thought with the wonderful production of Dilla, no one could replace him! In fact, for the album, according to T3, it was hard to find the production team, as they found a young Black Milk, Hi-Tek, Waajeed, Karriem Riggins and Scott Storch (oh, and yes, J Dilla provided 3 beats and T3 managed to get on the boards too), which saw a major change in their sound. Not only was that the change for the album, SV signed a new deal with Capitol, still keeping their independence with Barak, and would only release 2 albums with the new deal, becoming independent in 2005.

Although "Tainted" had a lot of success and acclaim, the album actually had a lot of criticism. T3 & Elzhi would later address this in the song "Def Do Us" off their self-titled album in 2005, saying that T3 & Baatin had probably the worst criticism ever with the album, but however, the critics actually liked El. The reaction from fans wasn't any better as they were split between those who welcomed El into the group and those who didn't like him, and felt that Dilla shouldn't have been replaced. As time went by though, El did manage to impress those fans with projects like Witness My Growth, The Preface, and Elmatic (aka Elzhi's remake of the classic Nas album Illmatic), still remaining to be a really underrated rapper in the game. Later on, after the release of this album, however, Baatin would leave, due to health problems, and also suffering from mental illnesses, leaving T3 & Elzhi to continue as a duo, releasing two albums (one in 2004, and another the following year), while 'Tin did his own thing. After receiving a termination letter from 3 & El, getting diagnoses and working as a solo artist, he would later officially reunite with the group in 2008 (although there was a reunion song back in '07, with Black Milk called "Action", but since 'Tin was credited as a solo artist, it was probably an unofficial reunion), but unfortunately, would pass away the following year (RIP).

Honestly, I took a little step backwards. I listened to their next album, Detroit Deli (A Taste of Detroit) before this, but this album has started to have the most replay value out of the two (hell, even Fantastic, Vol 2). But, let's get into it! No rhetorical questions needed, let's go!!!!!!

1. Intro 1
This intro was... great actually. This was just a little something from a choir that would be the melody for a later track on this album.

2. Intro 2
I always wondered why it was even necessary for two freakin' intros. Unless the intro is a necessary set-up to the album, or an actual opening track where the artist sings or raps, one intro is enough. But one should not simply ever have 2 freaking intros. However, "Intro 1" surprisingly is such a great lead up into the real thing, and it's at this point where you realize this ain't no Fantastic, Vol. 3, or a follow-up with Dilla all over it. On this banging beat from Waajeed, T3, Baatin & Elzhi play no games, sharing verses together. Elzhi manages to actually impress me more, although the other two started off very well. The instrumental shows the change in their sound, with a hardcore flow and more instrumentation. I've never been happy to hear such an intro track since the Stakes is High one!

3. Insane
Waajeed provides another instrumental, which is kinda mediocre, compared to the banging beat of the "Intro 2". 'Tin & El both do their thing, with T3 nowhere to be seen. Once again, El comes with another fire verse, and it's easy for him to impress the listener on this one. The overall track gives a dark feeling, especially at the end with the weird and disturbing voices around it. But yeah, on to the next one!

4. What Is This
Haha, it's funny cos that title was my reaction when I first heard it. But damn, is this song smooth! I remember first hearing it in its fullest while in Spain, and I freaking loved it. It's a very funky song, and a young Black Milk produces this, with help from T3 & Young RJ. Anyway, 3, Elzhi & Baatin are all present and they all come with short but snappy ass verses. T3 manages to show me why I even liked him out of everyone in the first place, with a hard verse which sounds too amazing, compared to the other 2 (I'm not discrediting them, their ones just sounded softer than 3's), and it's surprising that Black helped with this song, considering that his later beats would be way better than this and more hard-hitting. Nevertheless, it's a little standout that gets me hyped when listening to the album!

5. Tainted (feat. Dwele)
The first single, which not only properly introduced Elzhi as the replaced third member of Slum Village, but actually introduced Dwele too as a singer (he had some singing features as an underground singer, and was on Welcome 2 Detroit as a bassist). Here, SV talks about tainted love and relationships, and succeed to impress, while an instrumental from Karriem Riggins is provided. T3 starts off with him speaking to a girl about the love they share, with 'Tin changing the song's focus into how there's also tainted love when it comes to the music industry and El bringing it back to the relationship topic. Honestly, I don't know who had the best verse between Baatin & Elzhi. I mean, 'Tin's verse gives me chills, especially when it still relates today. And El's was amazing, but it's like you can tell this was probably the group's first song recorded with El cos he doesn't have as much time as the other two, and was likely to have a very quick verse for many to just see how he's like. Another highlight was the contribution from Dwele; his ad-libs were on point, and his singing at the end was great. This song remains such a standout on the album, and it's a pretty laidback one!

6. La La
The short musical interlude at the end of "Tainted" leads to another standout which is way better than the previous. With DJ Dez "on the Cutz", Waajeed once again provides a fire beat, which is probably one of my favourite beats on the album. T3, Baatin & Elzhi all kill their verses, but it was 'Tin's that impressed me most. He went harder than the others, and just how hardcore and amazing he sounded on this song made me speechless. It's a song that I can play all over and over again! One of my favourites on the album.

7. All-Ta-Ment
T3 gets on the boards to complete the production team for the album, and provides the surprisingly fire beat for once again, another standout! Baatin changes his flow into a deeper and grouchier flow that kinda reminded me of Busta Rhymes, when I first heard it. T3 still keeps his hardcore flow, having the best verse on the album. Elzhi also comes and does a decent verse, but once again, it's a quick one, which leads back to 'Tin, who gives an extra verse. I always liked this song. It's a standout on the album where everyone kills it!

8. Disco
The second single, which, as the title suggests, takes a funky disco approach. Like the previous, T3 produces this one, and along with Elzhi, both spit some killer verses, with Baatin being absent. 3 started off good, but Elzhi really impressed me with his verse, using the Fantastic, Vol. 2 tracklist just to make such a wonderful rap. This would later be remixed by the one and only Timbaland, making a more upbeat and modern beat that would make it easy to get radio airplay. It would come with a guest verse from Timbo's former protege Ms. Jade (where she at nowadays tho?! She was actually hot) and additional vocals from his other protege Raje Shwari. I actually listened to the remix before the album version, but we can all agree that this version washes the remix out the way (although it was actually good). Such a good track!

9. Trinity (Interlude)
On this little song that helps lead into the next one, Baatin, Elzhi & T3 dedicated their verses to each other; El to Baatin, considering that he was the old soul in the group (excluding Dilla), with 3 dedicating his verse to El, and also telling the audience how the group started from when Dilla was in the group to where they was at the time El replaced him. Baatin continues and thanks 3 & El for being part of the group. Black Milk provides another instrumental, which is honestly mediocre, but kinda sounds alright. The interlude's nothing special though.

10. One
The 2-key piano loop at the end of the Trinity interlude leads to this standout, which finally has J Dilla on the boards, like everybody wanted, creating what I'd call one of their most grimiest songs they've ever made. Dilla departs from his funky and laidback sound, and makes a gangsta/hardcore beat for Elzhi, 3 & 'Tin to rhyme over. T3 starts off good, with such a gritty flow that makes everything very interesting. El actually has the second best verse on here, even though he sounds soft, compared to 3 & Baatin. 3 spits another short verse as the beat switches, before handing it over to Baatin, who sounds very furious, saying stuff like "one of these days, I'ma show you what I'm made of/soon as I'm done with these silly little rap scrubs" [that lyric already sounded like 'Tin was already planning on leaving the group anyway! Interesting...] or "I rule a planet of my own where you don't exist". Honestly, I've never heard 'Tin like that before. He was probably in his own planet where he recorded this, cos this sounded freakin' amazing! 1nce again, another one of my favourites!

11. Hoes
J Dilla provides another instrumental, which is more chill and smooth than the previous. Here, with Elzhi being absent, T3 & Baatin reminisce about their girls being hoes. 3 starts off with a soft flow, which explains what he saw his girl doing. Baatin continues by expanding the point, and making the vibe more interesting. But it all gets real, when like "One", the beat switches into something hardcore and a little gritty, where 3 says not only women are hoes, but men are too, but in a more "fake friend" way, such as "selling you a gun when they never even used one" or "trying to have whatever you got". Luckily, Dilla calms us down before the beat takes us too far by having a calm and peaceful instrumental interlude. This is another song which I absolutely like. It's freakin' Dilla, what do you expect? His production on this song was on point, the melody, the good singing during the hook, and of course, the standout verse from T3. This was a substantial song!

12. Star (Interlude)
Just a little skit...

13. Star (feat. Dwele)
Dwele returns for hook duties on ANOTHER favourite (the amount of tracks on here is like a mixtape, so don't be surprised), so does Waajeed for an experimental-like beat. The beat is funky, and remembering hearing it while in Gibraltar makes this song feel better than what it actually is. Everybody does their thing, especially Baatin & Elzhi. It's when the beat slows down is where Tin gets jiggy with it, smoothing everything down, with a verse which is once again out of this world. Probably my #1 favourite on here.

14. Slumber
Hi-Tek also contributes to this album, with a song which shows everyone at their finest. I mean, they came in hard. 'Tin started off great, but Elzhi & T3 both murked this song. It's even better when the beat switches at the end into a electronic vibing instrumental!

15. Let's
The final beat Dilla provides on here, which is fantastic. Only thing was that I never cared for it until a few weeks ago, and damn, is this one hell of a track!!! Dilla uses his electronic influences, and creates a funky and banging beat, which is probably my second favourite Dilla beat on here, and everyone kills it. T3 & Elzhi really REALLY impressed me on this track, and their flows were way on point. The electronic vibe was suiting, and the group came in harder than ever. Another favourite on the album.

16. S.O.U.L.
A smooth song for y'all to rock "forth & back", word to the original song. This is just a song for everyone to get down to, with a concept of getting with a girl. All 3 do well on this, and it's just a song that I can vibe to, and I love it!

17. 80s (Skit)
Meh...

18. Unisex (Interlude)
T3 gets his own solo shot, and uses it to make a short gritty song, with a fire beat that he apparently made (like most critics have said, it does apparently sound like a Neptunes beat, to be honest). His flow is on point with this song, and while it could've been a full song, I still like it, especially when the bridge was where the melody finally was let out. This was great.

19. Love U Hate
Half of this song sees Baatin singing for a while. Yes, I said it, freaking singing; which leaves T3 & Elzhi to go back and forth with killer verses while Ess provides a banging beat. With how the production is like, and how this track was put together, this could've easily been the next single before or after "Disco". It could've been likely to have a remix, and easily would've got radio airplay. Sensational!

20. Get Live
Scott Storch contributes a beat for this song, which I first thought Timbo produced, until I checked the credits. This is just decent, the group gives a very interesting vibe, with a live performance feel, considering the skit at the end of the previous song. And the beat is actually not bad. But yeah, that's all there is to say!

21. Harmony
The song is freaking AMAZING!!!!! We continue where the album left off 20 songs earlier, when the choir sang a melody to introduce the project. And that melody would be used for this standout right here. With a beat provided by Karriem Riggins, 'Tin, T3 & El all come with hardcore verses, and they do not disappoint at all. Baatin started off really well, and sang a very good hook. T3's flow was on point, but Elzhi was amazing, and he came in like it was nothing. And that beat banged out hard! REALLY HARD! Another one of my favourites.

22. Who Are We (Interlude)
It's always the interludes with the fire beats that interest me into saying that they should've been longer. This is a prime example. T3 just chants out a little something to conclude the album, but I wished 3 could've at least let the beat ride out for some time as an instrumental interlude, because I can't really imagine the whole group on it. Once again, according to Wikipedia, 3 even produced this, and it's such a good beat that I was expecting someone else on the boards. This was a great conclusion.

The following is a bonus track:

23. Fall In Love (feat. Sammiyah)
A (still-) unknown singer called Sammiyah does a more mellow and R&B cover of the hardcore "Fall In Love" remix (which was the b-side of the "Raise It Up" single, back in 2000), and it honestly impresses me. It shows she can sing, but like some of these people I always hear about, she didn't push her sound forward enough for her to get signed, cos if she was, this could've been the perfect song to be a debut single. Maybe she could've get a remix from SV themselves or another rapper/group that was popping around that time. But damn, was this good!

Who the hell said SV wouldn't do well without Dilla? That's just some bullshit! Trinity is an album that departs from the soft, spacey and mellow sound that was Fantastic, Vol. 2, and goes to a more hardcore sound that gets straight to the point. It's good that the group switched their style up, it was around the same time Dilla switched up his production, so they were going a similar way. This is an album where you can see the change in them, and how they can still make good music without only 1 producer. The group doesn't use any guest appearances (apart from Dwele), and they still play it off. Not to mention, the album flows extremely well. The way it goes from one track to the next is just... sensational (*Future voice*) that it even feels like a mixtape, with the amount of tracks on here. The production is amazing. T3 actually shows off his production skills on the standouts "All-Ta-Ment" and "Disco"; J Dilla provides the beats for the standouts "One" and "Hoes". And Waajeed is such a star producer, creating experimental-like beats such as "Star" and "Insane". Baatin was amazing on here, and started to sound more furious and angry in his rhymes. Also, it was interesting to hear that even when the album was recorded, he wanted to leave this group anyway and do his own thing. T3 switches his flow from sometimes-blurry (but still amazing) on Vol. 2 to a more louder and hardcore style in his rhymes, which makes him have a lot of best verses here at times. As a matter of fact, he's the one with the best flow out of the 3 (it used to be Dilla, but.. you already know). And why would I forget Elzhi? He was amazing on here, and I was feeling him a lot on here. He would get better with his mixtapes, but this was where he started and he really impressed me on here, especially on "Harmony", "Let's" and "Slumber". Purchase this album! Obviously, Vol. 2 is better and is an instant classic, but Trinity never got the recognition it deserves, mainly cos everybody was like "Where's Dilla". In fact, looking at it now, it kinda makes me happy that he even left. Think about it: maybe if Dilla stayed and SV didn't add El, then Dilla probably wouldn't have pushed his sound forward that much, and would be simply known as "that producer that raps in Slum Village". El wouldn't have got his big break as expected, which would've been likely to cause him not really being  in some people's top 5 and have such a loyal fanbase. Trinity is simply an album that wasn't appreciated as much until now. Yeah, it may not be a Fantastic, Vol. 3 or an album with Dilla, or else it'd have very high expectations, considering the classic that Vol. 2 is. It's just a very good album with a lot of replay value.

Recommended Tracks
Star
Hoes
Let's
Harmony
All-Ta-Ment
One
La La
Slumber
Love U Hate
S.O.U.L.
Disco
Tainted

Mobb Deep - Hell On Earth

Released: November 19, 1996

Damn, has it been a year since I've reviewed The Infamous? That was my first review, and ever since, I haven't even managed to get to their next album. I've been avoiding a few artists throughout this blog, and at times, even when I review one of their projects, I often forget to continue my write up on their discography. Mobb Deep is one of them. A year and 2 months ago, I reviewed their second album, The Infamous, with no intentions of starting with Juvenile Hell. Now it's to a point where I'm desperate. Their work is so good that it's hard to stay away from it. So after a year of me not caring much for the Mobb, it's all back in action today!

After their success of what was The Infamous, Mobb Deep started to get critical acclaim for their work. Their hard work started to pay off, and many were already seeing The Infamous as such a groundbreaking album that it earned them a lot. Prodigy started to get the most credit, as he appeared on the posse cut remix of "I Shot Ya" with LL Cool J and a bunch of legends, while Havoc was recognized for his production and had some beats to spare. But during the 1995 Source Awards, things started going down, with Bad Boy & Death Row going at it, and at the same time, had 2Pac & The Notorious B.I.G. at it too, adding more spark to what was previously a minor East vs. West Coast feud. With the classic songs like "Who Shot Ya" and "Hit 'Em Up", it caused fans from both scenes to start taking sides. 2Pac then also started to beef with Mobb, causing them to release the diss "Drop A Gem On 'Em", months before his death. After his death, however on September 13, after heavy airplay of the diss, Mobb Deep took it from the radio to pay respects to Pac & his family, and would later release their first official single for their next album "Hell On Earth (Front Lines)" in October, leading to their long-awaited follow-up, Hell On Earth in November.

Hell On Earth, their second album released on the label Loud, was released in November 1996, and was preceded by the promo single "Still Shinin'", the Pac diss, "Drop a Gem on 'Em", and the title track. Released while the East/West Coast rivalry was still going on (until Biggie died), the album sees Mobb with a little darker side of them, with Havoc experimenting on a different production type, using more classic soul and piano samples. The album gathers features from Nas, Raekwon, Method Man and the Mobb's frequent collaborator Big Noyd. Due to the fact that it was recorded during the East/West feud, many saw the darker songs to be the subliminals to Pac and other West Coast MCs, but however, Prodigy manages to shout out Snoop Dogg, Tha Dogg Pound & Xzibit in the liner notes (and even Pac on "Still Shinin'").

HOE was met with positive reviews, and can be seen as the duo's best work either in front or behind The Infamous. It debuted at #6 on the Billboard 200, in its first week, and in April 1997, it was actually certified Gold. Not only that, this album was one that showed both Prodigy & Havoc at their prime, lyrically killing it together. This is probably my second favourite album from the Mobb, and honestly it's been long since I have fully touched this album. So things might change, and at an older age now (I was 11/12 when I first listened, I am now 14 turning 15 in a few months), will I find this better than The Infamous, or will it remain the same behind Infamous? It's time to find out!

1. Animal Instinct (feat. Twin Gambino & Ty Nitty)
At this point here, you realize that this ain't no Infamous. With this opening track, Havoc just has to say "Yo, yo, y'know how we did on The Infamous album, right? Aight, we gonna do it again son", and along with Prodigy, and their weed-carriers Twin Gambino (RIP Scarface, by the way) and Ty Nitty, just proves why this album is so damn GOOOOOOOOODDDD!!!!!!

2. Drop A Gem On 'Em
Even with the fact they dissed Pac with this song and got it off the airwaves after he died, they still managed to put it on the album 2 months later with a no-F***s-given attitude. Even if P got his facts about the shooting wrong, it still remains a good diss track. It remains an underrated gem, when talking about diss tracks. Yeah, everyone brings up "Who Shot Ya?", "Hit Em Up", "Takeover" and "Ether", but always leaves Mobb Deep in the dust as if they don't exist, especially when talking about the East vs West Coast rivalry. 19 years later, it still rings to a New Yorker's ears, but it's still sad that it's underrated as hell.

3. Bloodsport
Hardcore lyrics from Havoc & Prodigy over a freaking gritty beat. I mean, what else is there to say? It's East Coast rap at its finest!

4. Extortion (feat. Method Man)
Method Man is the next guest on this standout, and absolutely murders this track, While both Prodigy & Havoc had good verses, Meth's verse is a prime example to why Wu-Tang Clan ain't nothin' to mess with. He was quick to bite on this one!

5. More Trife Life
Havoc's solo is a sequel to The Infamous standout "Trife Life", which, like the first one, follows the paranoia of meeting up with an ex-friend and getting banged up by a rival gang. With a more darker instrumental, which makes the track even more entertaining, it's nice to see Hav tell a very interesting and dark story with this track. Even to this day, I still don't know if it's better than the first. But goddamn, this is amazing, showing off Hav's storytelling skills.

6. Man Down (feat. Big Noyd)
I didn't care as much for this song, but with affiliate Big Noyd on here (aka the unofficial 3rd member of Mobb Deep), who previously got shine from his verse on "Give Up The Goods (Just Step)", it's a song that I kinda regret sleeping on. Prodigy starts off with a killer verse, having some fire bars [We're blasting, you're collapsing heavily like my gold MAC-10, get imprisoned with them raps they have you relapsing]. Havoc's verse is decent, and it's like he can't really keep up with the instrumental until he concludes with his verse. But Noyd comes with a freaking fire verse that outshines both P & Hav. This song is fantastic! Mobb Deep & Noyd both kill this, and it's a very impressive song. One of my favourites on the album.

7. Can't Get Enough Of It (feat. General G aka Illa Ghee)
General G aka Illa Ghee is the next guest on this song, which, like "Man Down", I didn't care for. But if I'm being honest, it's a decent song. Hav starts off good, and Ghee does well with his verse too. However, P comes with a verse that shits all over this... wait a minute. Oh yeah, I forgot Hav had another verse, and he does WAY better than his starter verse, murdering the whole track with just a little verse. This is freaking great! Anyone who disagrees, well... screw you!

8. Nighttime Vultures (feat. Raekwon)
The Chef (who is the second Wu-Tang feature on this album, by the way) comes through on this album, making Havoc relegate to the hook, instead of having his own verse like the others. Prodigy kills this, with a verse that was actually a Hip-Hop Quotable on The Source magazine, and in comparison, Rae does come off a little weak. That doesn't mean he did a bad job, as he actually did sound alright. But this song is fire though, another one of my favourites!

9. G.O.D. Pt. III
This is not, and I repeat, NOT a sequel to the classic "Shook Ones (Part II)". Named after an affiliate of the Mobb, who pretty much named himself after the third installment of a classic film series, Havoc uses "Tony's Theme" from Scarface, along with the classic drum-loop of Little Feat's "Fool Yourself" (aka the same drums as A Tribe Called Quest's "Bonita Applebum") to create such a standout. Taking Bonita Applebum's drums and using it in such a dark and lyrical way? Freaking amazing! This song features what I'd call one of P's best verses of his career, with threats like: "You'll be running for dear life so far you might fall off the map/Fucking with P, you need the gat/At least you have the opportunity to bust back". Havoc also comes with such a killer verse, that it's hard to see who was better, as this is one of those songs that have verses remained in their Best Verse list. This song is FUEGO, and is just one hell of a standout!

10. Get Dealt With
The piano samples on this song is just on point! The instrumental is easy to lure you in as a victim, that you can ignore anything wrong with it, maybe Prodigy saying the word "face off", "face off" and "face off" in a span of 3 bars. Hav continues with a better verse though, making this one hell of a song!

11. Hell On Earth (Front Lines)
AWWWWWWW YEEEEAAAAAHHH!!!! The title track on the album ends up being the biggest standout and the best track on the album, and it's another song where Prodigy spits what could be his overall best verse ever, or... one of the best verses in hip-hop history. While Havoc came with a good verse, wait till the end for you to hear the greatness of Albert freaking Johnson. He just kills the hell out of that track (ba dum tss... get it?). While the beat is a little bland, it suits this track so much that I don't even mind. Just like how a hot beat can carry shitty lyrics, such a wonderful verse can sometimes carry an average beat. Such a classic song!

12. Give It Up Fast (feat. Nas & Big Noyd)
Havoc continues his use of turning classic film soundtracks into beats on this one, as he takes from King of New York. Nas starts this one off good, and Havoc & Prodigy both do their thing on this track, but with Noyd, why does it actually sounds like he's gonna have sex with a guy? Nah, I can't condone that. It's still decent though!

13. Still Shinin'
The following two tracks you are about to hear is pure freaking HEAT (*insert fire emojis*)! This was their promo single before "Drop A Gem On 'Em" and the title track dropped, and it still holds up today. Both P & Hav come with some fire, which make this song so amazing. The album comes back on the sick instrumentals after some average instrumentals on the previous track, and it remains my favourite beat on the album, banging out like no other. You don't even know how much I love this song!

14. Apostle's Warning
After an introductory verse from Havoc, Prodigy renegades the whole album, just like he did with the album's title track, and he even starts off with a sick Star Wars reference. Here, P's flow is intact and is so good to the fact that you bump your head for the whole 4 minutes. It's that amazing, being one of his best verses at his prime and making him to be remembered as one of the greats. It's easy to admit his newer music isn't that good (Albert Einstein was fire though), but anyone who disagrees with this being fire, screw you!

Whew, that heat! If you're looking for dark ass content and fire instrumentals, Hell On Earth is for you! It's a wonderful follow up to what was a classic, and Mobb Deep don't play any games with this one. There's no commercial tracks, no tracks with R&B singers, just pure dark shit. It shows both P & Hav at their prime, doing what they do best; P with his refreshing verses, and Hav with some dope production. Every song on the album sounds freaking fantastic, and flow very well with each other. The features are good, having a range from Method Man to Nas. HOE also shows P at his finest, on the album's title track, "G.O.D. Pt. III", and "Apostle's Warning", The chilling production of Havoc remains present on "Still Shinin'", "Get Dealt With" and "Give It Up Fast", which has the overall feeling being memorable. While the overall album IS FREAKING AMAZING, none of those songs are better than The Infamous, now that I think about it, especially "Shook Ones (Part II)". If I was to grade those albums, HOE is like an A and The Infamous is probably an A*. While Hav's production has improved, the overall album won't come close. Even if I was to listen to it before I die, The Infamous would shit over it. However, that shouldn't stop you from listening to this heat as HOE is Mobb's second best work, and is one of those albums that flow together like it's nothing. Buy this! It's sad how P & Hav can't rap like this anymore. While both 13 & Albert Einstein were great, I feel their overall music now sucks. They sound very underwhelming and they lack that special sound. So if you want that special sound, cop this shit NOW!

The Furious 5ive
Hell On Earth (Front Lines)
Apostle's Warning
Still Shinin'
G.O.D. Pt. III
Man Down

Honourable Mentions
Extortion
Nighttime Vultures
You should know every song on here is fantastic!

A Tribe Called Quest - Midnight Marauders

Released: November 9, 1993

So yeah, I'm back on the old school shit. It kinda felt good reviewing some recent music for a period of time. But it's about time I revert back. The thing with this blog is that the type of hip-hop music I review should be a balance. Not too much old school, and not too much new school either. Anyway, today's album comes from A Tribe Called Quest aka Q-Tip, Phife Dawg, Ali Shaheed Muhammad and (occasional member) Jarobi White, as I continue their discography (although I still have yet to share my opinion of People's Instinctive Travels) with their second classic Midnight Marauders.

Rewind 5 months back, and I reviewed The Low End Theory, which, with a positive review, finally saw Phife taking the mic other than just Tip throughout the album. With classic songs such as "Scenario" and "Jazz (We've Got)", it can be remembered as an influential album, with its major jazz samples and a little darker content, compared to People's Instinctive Travels. Tribe would do the same thing with their next album, Midnight Marauders, but the only difference was their sound was more mastered and refreshing, being led by "Award Tour", followed by arguably their best song, "Electric Relaxation" and "Oh My God". Released on November 9, also the same date as Wu-Tang Clan's Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), the album's content is much brighter, in comparison to Low End, discussing everyday situations, instead of just society and violence; therefore being Tribe's most accessible album to date. The album features a robotic-voiced woman guiding the listener through the album, and at times, you can cause a big argument over which album was better between Low End and Midnight.

While The Low End Theory got the bigger praise and the most influence, people still see Midnight Marauders as a classic jazz rap album, they just don't give it the amount of praise they do with Low End. The album was a critical and commercial success, with their single, "Award Tour", being their highest charting single to date, peaking at #47 on the Billboard 200 (#1 on the Hip-Hop Singles chart). The album debuted at #8 on the Billboard 200, and in 1995 reached platinum status, being 1/3 of the platinum Tribe albums. The album comes in 3 different color schemes: Black, Red & Green (the trademark colors of the Tribe), with Black being the rarest of them all, and Red is actually the most common. With how frequent it is, I obviously have the Red one (also the European version).

Anyway, that's enough talking. Let's start the journey!

1. Midnight Marauders Tour Guide
An intro that pretty much sets the mood for the album. I actually love the elevator music in the background (just wanted to add that in).

2. Steve Biko (Stir It Up)
In this song, you'll start to realize that this isn't your sequel to Low End. Yes, Tribe still keeps the jazzy production, but it's more upbeat, funky and positive. Anyway, Tip & Phife both come with the heat, killing their verses with echoes in between their verses. The trumpets are in full effect, and the input from both Tip & Phife is just wonderful, with some sick bars here and there. Not to mention, while it weirdly has nothing to do with Steve Biko (who was a South African anti-apartheid activist) at all, this song ROCKS!

3. Award Tour (feat. Trugoy)
Dave aka Trugoy of De La Soul (before he changed it to Dove/Dave) only sings the hook for this one, and even to this day, it's a pretty good one to remember. This song is one that lyrically shows Tip & Phife at their finest, with such a chill and elevator-like instrumental to help them murk their verses like it's nothing. And while I don't wanna be one of those guys (especially when I wasn't even born in the 90s), this is better than some of the shit released today (I said some, considering that 2015 has been a year of great quality, from both lyrical and non-lyrical rappers). This is amazing!

4. 8 Million Stories
On an album which is known to be brighter, more accessible, and not dark, Phife's solo, which is produced by Skeff Anselm, is probably the most mature song on here, following Phife having the ultimate bad day, whether it's not getting his milkshake or trying to help his friends. Like he did with the Low End solo, "Butter," Q-Tip helps by doing the hook with Phife, adding more to the mood of this song. It's nice to see Phife getting more serious, and actually takes advantage of his solo shot by creating an interesting story, which can be very relatable. Also, the beat is smooth, laidback and is very suiting to the concept of the song. A very great song [P.S. Tip's "Help Me" adlibs at the end were so disturbing, especially when you listen to it on your earphones].

5. Sucka Nigga
Q-Tip reflects on the use of the n-word, talking about its origination, and how it's known to be a very used word. While others don't like to use it, generally the older blacks, Q-Tip says the opposite and want to bring the usage back (well, his wish has come true now). While I actually love this song, it could've been better for Tip to actually spit a second verse to actually elaborate on his point, instead of repeat the first verse. I know, I know, I sound like a freakin' English teacher, but it's actually true, to be honest. Then again, I still love it for what it is. And I love the statement at the end from the robotic voice.

6. Midnight
Another solo from Tip, and is darker than the previous, as he talks about all the situations that go on at the nighttime, which kinda tells a little story. Here, Tip's rhymes really ride the beat smoothly, and come with some great lines ["Hits the local bodega to wolf down a gyro; Son is on a midnight run like De Niro"]. Damn, this was a good one, and I freaking loved this song! It's one that shows how great the production on the album is.

7. We Can Get Down
OK, so now we're back to the funky jams. While it's not as good as the 2 previous tracks, it's actually still great in its own way, with its upbeat and groovy production. Phife starts off with a great 24-bar verse, with some highlights such as "Too many candy rappers seem to be at the top / Too much candy is no good, so now I'm closing the shop". Tip later continues with a standout verse, which actually amazes me, especially this line: "This is '93 and the shit is real / Black people unite and put down your steel", which tries to bring peace and positivity. This is overall a good song, and after the 3 previous songs just had one or the other, it's good to see Tip & Phife in full effect together.

8. Electric Relaxation
Is there really anything to say about this song? If you don't have this ANYWHERE on your top 10 all-time favourite songs, then there's probably something wrong with you. This is arguably one of the best rap songs ever. Point Blank, Period!

9. Clap Your Hands
After the classic smoothness which was of "Electric Relaxation", the album moves on to a darker vibe, but still has the positive feelings intact. Being one of a million songs in hip-hop history that samples Bob James' "Nautilus", both Tip & Phife come with more heat, and 1nce again, Phife starts off with a fire verse, having timeless bars like: "Crazier than 2Pac in the flick called Juice / Cock is longer than the hat worn by Dr. Seuss", and even mentioning that his favourite rapper is himself. Tip continues, but unlike Phife, doesn't really have much, but to actually set the mood for the audience to clap their hands and get down. It's a top-notch song with an A1 instrumental, that you can vibe to.

10. Oh My God (feat. Busta Rhymes)
Like Trugoy's appearance on "Award Tour", Busta Rhymes (who, at the time, just came from a break up of Leaders of the New School) does the hook for this song, and it still remains such a great one. Anyway, on this jazzy instrumental, Tip & Phife both spit some fire verses, with Phife having a really great one (which also censored the homophobic Caribbean word,"batty boy"). And "I like my beats hard than 2 day old shits"? What? I don't even wanna know how the hell he knows how 2 day old shits are like! If I were you though, although this song is an absolute classic, I'd rather you skip after they stop rapping, considering the amount of times Busta says "Oh My God".

11. Keep It Rollin' (feat. Large Professor)
Large Professor makes an appearance, and is actually the only feature on this album who doesn't contribute to the hook. That's only because there is none. Tip, Phife & Large both spit fire verses over a chill and smooth instrumental, and actually do a great job. While I normally focus on Phife a little more than Tip, it's weird to say that he didn't have a memorable verse that much. Neither did Tip. Large Pro is the one that comes with the heat, with such a good verse that I mostly bump my head to. However, why are you telling us to "buy the album when [you] drop it", really? That album aka The LP was supposed to drop in '96, but it took yo ass 13 years to get it out to the public! I still love this though.

12. The Chase (Part II)
I'm still not sure whether there's a Part I of this song or not, but the b-side to the "Award Tour" single is an "Original Version" of this song, which has a young Consequence aka Q-Tip's cousin (instead of Tip & Phife themselves) spitting a little verse that lasts 2 minutes. So I'm just gonna assume and call that one "The Chase (Part I)". Anyway, both Tip & Phife both have some wonderful verses, with Tip taking the shine with 2 verses and Phife with only 1 verse. The beat is amazing, and the vocal sample of the classic "Nobody Beats The Biz" is on point during the hook. At the end though, Tip shoutouts everybody ("Rock, Rock on"), and unexpectedly adds a great touch to it. One of my favourites on the album.

13. Lyrics To Go
Apparently, the program ends, but that doesn't mean the album concludes. On this standout, Tribe doesn't fail to impress me, with Tip having timeless bars like "Silly with the microphone, in other words I'm loco / Six foot zero with my height, complexion cocoa", and Phife continuing on with an impressive verse. This song is so GOOOOOOOOODDDD!!!!!! And the beat is freaking awesome. Such a great song.

14. God Lives Through
The album concludes with 1 verse each from Phife & Tip. Phife starts off by coming with some great references ("Walk past MCs like the girls did The Pharcyde"; damn, I love that line), all while repping Queens, but also shouting out many artists such as Main Source, Onyx and a pre-Illmatic Nas (since he was on the classic "Live at the Barbecue"), also the people behind the album cover. Tip continues with his normal style, and he actually does well with it. In fact, this is one of those moments on the album, where he has the best verse out of him & Phife. The "Oh My God" sample from Busta Rhymes appears again from the song of the same name aka track 10. It's a worthy concluding track, and it's such a way to end an album.

The following is a European bonus track:

15. Hot Sex
This was originally on the Boomerang soundtrack in 1992, and was made a single. This is actually known as one of Tribe's best songs, but in my opinion (key word: OPINION. Don't take it like I'm stating facts), it's just decent and something you can listen to like it's nothing. No surprising faces or anything. You can just bump your head to it, with no problems, considering that Tip had a very good verse. See, I was just doing that as I wrote this. But as I said, it's just decent.

Midnight Marauders is what I call Tribe's straightforward hip-hop album in their catalog. It's more positive, bright, more commercial to the point where I freaking love it. Phife & Tip both improve their rhymes, and Phife begins to get involved in the album a lot more. MM see Tribe mastering their sound with a lot of smooth production, great references, and the sampling being amazing on the beats, There is not one single bad track on here, and with not that much features, it's an impressive album. The Jazz samples on here are improved and Tribe focuses on everyday situations, instead of society all the time. On songs like "Midnight" and "Clap Your Hands", we see dark instrumentals, but interesting stories and wonderful lines, while on classic tracks like "Oh My God" and "Electric Relaxation", the smooth production and trumpet samples are in full effect, being the reason we all love Tribe. Phife is one that has impressed me more after Low End on songs like "8 Million Stories" and "Oh My God", and Tip actually has stepped up on songs such as "We Can Get Down" and "God Lives Through". And not to forget, Large Pro comes with the heat on "Keep It Rollin'". Overall, Midnight Marauders shits all over The Low End Theory. It's in my Top 10 albums, and it still remains a classic 22 years later. Just buy the freakin' album. That's all I need to say...

The Furious 5ive
Electric Relaxation
Oh My God
The Chase (Part II)
Award Tour
Midnight

Honourable Mentions
God Lives Through
Keep It Rollin'
8 Million Stories
Pretty much every track is the best on the album!