rap

I’ll admit it, I don’t have particularly high expectations for Tyga albums. Tyga, the rapper most known for strip club anthem “Rack City,” is pretty much the definition of mediocre and generic pop-rap that straddles the gap between the clubs and the radio. So naturally when I started my first listen through of Tyga’s latest album, the unfortunately titled Hotel California, I was not expecting much. Much to my surprise, as I neared the end of the album, I found myself actually enjoying parts of Hotel California. Read More »

With less than a week left until finals end and summer officially begins, it’s time for me to break out Atmosphere’s “Summer Song.” For years, no matter what my favorite summer jam of the moment might be, this track has been the one constant. Some summers I’ve played it every day, some summers less often, but the effect is always just as powerful. Fair warning – this probably isn’t the best song to put on your summer party playlist. Its melancholy tone is better suited for solo drives on warm nights. Read More »

It seems the overcast atmosphere of Raz Simone’s hometown, Seattle, has made its way into his music . His debut solo EP, Solomon Samuel Simone,  is the kind of album to listen to and think about on a rainy day. Read More »

Logic is a local rapper from Maryland who is making it big. Quick off signing a major label contract with Def Jam, Logic releases this intense track to act as a teaser for his upcoming project “Welcome To Forever”. “Nasty” shows off Logic’s insane flow and great wordplay over a fast paced beat courtesy of Don Cannon. Look out, this kid is going places. Check out the video after the jump.

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Kid Cudi is one of rap’s most enigmatic characters. After making it big off a fantastic mixtape, and a strong debut album, Cudi released the strange followup Man on the Moon II, which featured dark, space-y tracks and nihilistic tones. After that he made a strange, and not very good, garage rock side project WZRD. But finally, the kid named Cudi has returned to rap – mostly. While his new album Indicud is not his strongest effort, it is a worthy addition to the Cudi discography. Read More »

I’m gonna come right out and say it: I enjoy listening to 2 Chainz. And Young Jeezy. And Chief Keef. And Waka. The list could go on, but you know exactly the kind of rap I’m talking about: the loud, sometimes obnoxious, often-trap inspired sort of music that seems ubiquitous at parties, the stuff that many fans of independent or “socially conscious” hip-hop turn their nose up at. It’s the stuff that your parents hate and the bros at your high school bumped in the parking lot, but regardless of its reputation I think it’s great in its own way.

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I listen to a lot of rap music. A lot. And as a white middle class suburban kid who goes to an expensive private college, when people learn this fact about me, the first question is always “Wait, why? How can you possibly get anything out of it?”. Racial undertones aside (and that is a matter for a whole other article), the second question is invariably: “Well then who is your favorite rapper?”. My answer has always been Kid Cudi. Read More »

It is funny how much a year or two can change the public perception of an artist. Two years ago J. Cole was the talk of the town. The young rapper/producer mentored by Jay-Z had released some excellent mixtapes, and was gearing up to release his debut album. And when the last rapper/producer co-signed by Jay-Z was a fellow named Kanye West who went on to be just a minor success, Jermaine Cole certainly had a lot to live up to.

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