Outkast vs the Beatles

There is a meme going around that says "When society says Outkast is better than the Beatles then we can truly start healing" which is ridiculous on many levels, but since this is a music blog we are going to just look at the facts of this argument. If you were to ask me to pick an album to listen to depending on my mood I would likely pick Outkast. However, if you were to ask Andre or Big Boi who was better they would tell you the Beatles. This is because they know three of the artists that influenced them Prince, George Clinton, and Jimi Hendrix have all gone on record as saying the Beatles influenced them, 

But let's take this a step further and see who is better pound for pound when it comes to their albums so I am going to put their albums head to head since Outkast's final two albums are double albums I will give the Beatles the handicap and use the Beatles first 7 albums in this battle of the bands. 

ROUND 1

Please Please Me vs Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik

Up first ... Please, Please Me

Filler Songs - 'Misery", "Anna", "Chains" "Boys", "Baby it's You", "The Taste of Honey", "There's a Place"  

Great Songs -"I Saw Here Standing There" "Ask Me Why" "Please, Please Me", "Love Me Do", "PS I Love You"  , "Twist and Shout" 

Score 6 

Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik

Filler songs -"myintroletyouknow", "Funky Ride", "D.E.E.P"

Great songs -'Ain't no thang" 'Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik", "Players Ball", "Claimin' True", "Git up, Git Out" , "Crumblin Erb" , "Hootie Hoo" 

Score-7

Winner -Outkast ... by 1 point 

We will proceed but it should be noted that Outkast has 3 session bass players as compared to Paul McCartney playing his own bass lines, as well as using session guitarists, where George and John played their own parts, along with six backing vocalists, since at this point neither member of Outkast had attempted to sing at this point where all four Beatles sang on their first album 

Round 2 

"With the Beatles" vs "ATLiens" 

"With the Beatles"

Filler - "It won't be long", "Don't Bother Me", "Little Child", "Little Child", "Rollover Beethoven", "Hold Me Tight", "I Wanna Be Your Man", "Not a Second Time" 

Great Songs - "All I've got to Do", "All My Loving", "Til There Was You",  "Mr. Postman", "You Really Got a Hold on Me", "Devil in her Heart", "Money'

Score-7

"ATLiens"

Filler-"Babylon", "Wailin" , "13th Floor / Growin Old"  

Great Songs - "Two Dope Boyz", "ATLiens" , "Wheelz of Steel", "Jazzy Belle", "Elevators", "Ova Da Wudz", "Mainstream" , "'Decatur Psalm", "Millenium", "E.T"     

Score -10

Winner of Round 2 - Outkast 

I knew this one would be a slaughter as this is my favorite album and I typically dislike the Beatles' early years when they were basically a glorified cover band but with 13 years of music journalism under my belt, I can detach and analyze even albums I dislike due to personal tastes objectively, by asking how did it hold up over the years, and are they effective at what they are doing? 

Total score - 

The Beatles - 13 

Outkast-17

Round 3 

"A Hard Day's Night"  VS "Aquemini" 

"A Hard Day's Night"

Filler-"I'm Happy Just to Dance with You", "Tell Me Why", "I'll Cry Instead", "When I Get Home", "You Can't Do That"    

Great Songs- "A Hard Day's Night", "I Should Have Known Better", "If I Fell", "And I Love Her", "Can't Buy Me Love", "Anytime At All", "Things We Said Today", "I'll Be Back"     

Score-8

"Aquemini" 

Filler -"Aquemini", "West Savannah", "Mamacita", "Ya'll Scared"    

Great Songs - "Return of the "G" ", "Rosa Parks", "Skew it on the Bar-b", "Synthesizer", "Slump" , "Dat Art of Storytellin pt 1", "Da Art of Storytellin pt2", "Spottieottiedopalicious", "Liberation", "Chonkyfire"       

Score-10

Winner of round 3 -Outkast 

Points of interest are that this is the first album where Outkast used rock guitars on "Chonkyfire", their session guys were basically recycling Funakdelic riffs and not exactly redefining guitar playing here. If you are a Beatles fan and do not like this beatdown, we are putting the Beatle's worst album against Outkast's best and still have four more to go. 

Total Score 

the Beatles -21

Outkast-27

Round 4 

"Beatles For Sale" vs "Stankonia" 

"Beatles For Sale"

Filler -"Baby's in Black", "Rock N Roll Music", "Mr . Moonlight", "Kansas City", 'Words of Love", 'Honey Don't ", "I Don't Want to Spoil the Paty", 

Great Songs -"No Reply", "I'm a Loser",  "I'll Follow the Sun", "Eight Days a Week", "Every Little Thing", "What Your'e Doing", 'Everybody's Trying to Be My Baby"  

Score- 7

'Stankonia" 

Filler- 'Snappin & Trappin" , "Toilet Tisha" , "Stankonia", 

Great Songs-"Gasoline Dreams", "So Fresh So Clean", "Ms. Jackson", "Spaghetti Junction", "I 'll Call B4 I Cum", "B.O.B", "Xplosion", "We Luv Deez Hoes", "Humble Mumble", "Red Velvet", "Gangsta Shit", "Slum Beautiful" 

Score 12    

Winner of Round 4

Outkast

Total Score- 

The Beatles -28

Outkast- 39 

Round 5 

'Help!" vs "Speakerboxx 

"Help!"

Filler -"I Need You", 'Act Naturally", "You Like Me Too Much", 'Dizzy Miss Lizzy" 

Great Songs - "Help!", 'the Night Before ", 'You've Got to Hide Your Love Away", 'Another Girl", 'Ticket to Ride", "It's Only Love", "Tell Me What You See", "I've Just Seen a Face", "Yesterday"   

Score -9

"Speakerboxx" 

Filler- "Bowtie", "Tomb of the Boom", "Flip Flop Rock", "Reset',   

Great Songs- "GhettoMusick", "Unhappy", "the Way You Move", 'the Rooster", 'Bust", "War", "Church", "Knowing", "Last Call"     

Score-9

Winner- tie 

At this point in the Beatles' career, they were coming into their own, as this was where Outkast hit their commercial peak

Total score-

the Beatles - 37

Outkast-48

Round 6  

"Rubber Soul" vs "The Love Below" 

"Rubber Soul"

Filler-"What Goes On" 

Great Songs- 'Drive My Car", "Norwegian Wood", "You Won't See Me"  "Nowhere Man", 'Think For Yourself", "The Word", "Michelle", "Girl", "I'm Looking Through You", "In My Life", 'Wait" "If Needed Someone" "Run For Your Life"

Score- 13

"the Love Below"

Filler-"Love Hater", "Happy Valentines Day", "Spread", "Prototype", 'She Lives in My Lap", 'Behold a Lady", "Pink & Blue", "Love in War", "She's Alive" 'Dracula's Wedding" "My Favorite Things", "Take off Your Cool", "Vibrate" 

Great Songs-"Hey Ya", 'Roses" 

Score- 2 

the Winner- the Beatles 

So we have one of the Beatles' better albums again Andre 3000 attempt to be Prince with a boring disco of meandering sounds, with "Hey Ya" as the only song that left an imprint. 

Total score-

The Beatles - 50

Outkast-51

Round - 7

"Revolver" vs  "Idelwild" 

"Revolver"

Filler-"Dr Robert" 

Great Songs- "Taxman", "Eleanor Rigby", "I'm Only Sleeping", "Love You to", "Here There and Everywhere" "Yellow Submarine", "She Said She Said", "Good day Sunshine", "And Your Bird Cam Sing"  "I Want to Tell You" "Got To Get You into My Life" "Tomorrow Never Knows" 'For No One"

Score-13

'Idlewild"

Filler-"Mighty O", "Idlewild Blue", "N2U", "Chronomentrophobia", "The Train", "Life is Like a Musical" "Hollywood Divorce", "Makes No Sense", "PJ & Rooster", "Mutron Angel", "the Greatest Show on Earth", "When I Look In Your Eyes", "Dyin to Live", A Bad Note"       

Great Songs-"Peaches", "Morris Brown" "Call the Law", "Buggface", "In Your Dreams"  

Score-5

Winner- The Beatles

It's a shame that Outkast's last album was the soundtrack to the chaotic bomb of a movie that was "Idlewild" It's ok we won't put it up against"Yellow Submarine" by asking which is a better movie column. 

 Final Score 

the Beatles -63

Outkast-56

So The Beatles came back and edged out a win against Outkast, but if we are really being fair here and Outkast is the better band that society should admit to them being then shouldn't we put them head to head against the Beatles best albums? rather than just the first 7? To give keep things fair we will count the White album as two albums.

REMATCH ROUND 1

"Revolver" vs  "Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik"

"Revolver"

Filler-"Dr Robert" 

Great Songs- "Taxman", "Eleanor Rigby", "I'm Only Sleeping", "Love You to", "Here There and Everywhere" "Yellow Submarine", "She Said She Said", "Good day Sunshine", "And Your Bird Cam Sing"  "I Want to Tell You" "Got To Get You into My Life" "Tomorrow Never Knows" 'For No One"

Score-13

"Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik"

Filler songs -"myintroletyouknow", "Funky Ride", "D.E.E.P"

Great songs -'Ain't no thang" 'Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik", "Players Ball", "Claimin' True", "Git up, Git Out" , "Crumblin Erb" , "Hootie Hoo" 

Score-7

Winner- the Beatles 

REMATCH ROUND 2 

"Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" vs "ATliens"

"Sgt. Pepper"

Filler-"Sgt Pepper's Reprise"

Great Songs-"Sgt Peppers...", "With a Little Help From My Friends", "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds", "Getting Better", "Fixing a Hole", 'She's Leaving Home", "Being For the Benefit of Mr. Kite", "Within You Without You" "When I'm 64" "Lovely Rita" "Good Morning, Good Morning", "A Day in the Life". 

Score-12

"ATLiens" 

Filler-"Babylon", "Wailin" , "13th Floor / Growin Old"  

Great Songs - "Two Dope Boyz", "ATLiens", "Wheelz of Steel", "Jazzy Belle", "Elevators", "Ova Da Wudz", "Mainstream", "'Decatur Psalm", "Millenium", "E.T"     

Score -10

Winner- the Beatles 

Outkast put up a little more of a fight here

Total score -

the Beatles - 25 

Outkast - 17

REMATCH ROUND 3

"Magical Mystery Tour" vs "Aquemini" 

"Magical Mystery Tour" 

Filler -"Flying" 

Great Songs - "Magical Mystery Tour", "the Fool on the Hill" , "Blue Jay Way", "Your Mother Should Know", "I am the Walrus" , "Hello Goodbye" , "Strawberry Fields Forever", "Penny Lane". 

Score-8

"Aquemini" 

Filler -"Aquemini", "West Savannah", "Mamacita", "Ya'll Scared"    

Great Songs - "Return of the "G" ", "Rosa Parks", "Skew it on the Bar-b", "Synthesizer", "Slump" , "Dat Art of Storytellin pt 1", "Da Art of Storytellin pt2", "Spottieottiedopalicious", "Liberation", "Chonkyfire"       

Score-10

Winner- Outkast 

Outkast takes this one! 

Total Score-

The Beatles -33

Outkast-27

 REMATCH ROUND 4

"The White Album" pt 1 (sides 1 &2) vs "Stankonia"

"The White Album" pt 1 (sides 1 &2

Filler -"Wild Honey Pie", I Will", "Julia" 

Great Songs-"Back in the USSR", "Dear Prudence", "Glass Onion", "Ob-la Di-Ob-La-Da", "the Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill", "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" "Happiness is a Warm Gun", "Martha My Dear", "I'm So Tired", "Blackbird", "Piggies" "Don't Pass Me By", "Why Don't We Do it in the Road" 

Score -13 

"Stankonia" 

Filler- 'Snappin & Trappin" , "Toilet Tisha" , "Stankonia", 

Great Songs-"Gasoline Dreams", "So Fresh So Clean", "Ms. Jackson", "Spaghetti Junction", "I 'll Call B4 I Cum", "B.O.B", "Xplosion", "We Luv Deez Hoes", "Humble Mumble", "Red Velvet", "Gangsta Shit", "Slum Beautiful" 

Score- 12    

Winner-the Beatles 

They edge out what might be the best Outkast album with the first half of the White Album

Total Score

the Beatles - 46

Outkast-39

Rematch Round  5

"The White Album" pt 2 (sides 3 &4) vs "Speakerboxx" 

"The White Album pt 2" (sides 3 &4)

Filler -"Birthday" , "Mother Nature's Son", "Revolution 9" , "Good Night" 

Great songs-"Yer Blues",  "Everybody's Got Something to Hide", "Sexy Sadie", "Helter Skelter" , "Long, Long, Long" , 'Revolution", "Honey Pie", "Savoy Truffle" , "Cry Baby Cry"  

Score-9

"Speakerboxx"

Filler- "Bowtie" , "Tomb of the Boom" , "Flip Flop Rock", "Reset' ,   

Great Songs- "GhettoMusick", "Unhappy" , "the Way You Move" , 'the Rooster" , 'Bust", "War", "Church", "Knowing", "Last Call"     

Score-9

Winner- Tie, 

Not all of the Beatles' experiments worked as well. 

Total Score-

The Beatles - 55

Outkast -48

REMATCH ROUND 6

"Abbey Road" vs "the Love Below"

"Abbey Road"

Filler-

Great Songs- "Come Together", 'Something", Maxwell's Silver Hammer", "Octopus' Garden", "I Want You", "Here Comes the Sun", "Because", "You Never Give Me Your Money", "Sun King", "Mean Mr. Mustard", "Polythene Pam", "She Came in Through the Bathroom Window", 'Golden Slumbers", "Carry That Weight", "The End" 

Score-15

 " the Love Below"

Filler-"Love Hater", "Happy Valentines Day", "Spread", "Prototype", 'She Lives in My Lap", 'Behold a Lady", "Pink & Blue", "Love in War", "She's Alive" 'Dracula's Wedding" "My Favorite Things", "Take off Your Cool", "Vibrate" 

Great Songs-"Hey Ya", 'Roses" 

Score- 2 

Winner- the Beatles

This paints a pretty concise picture, as if you bring up the argument that Outkast do not play their own instruments, so should not even be in the running most people will use the fact Andre can play keys and flute making him a musician, but when left to his own devices he gets slaughtered in this match up, nor would be fair any better against any of the Beatles solo albums. 

Total Score

the Beatles -70

Outkast- 50

REMATCH ROUND 7

"Let it Be" vs "Idlewild"

"Let it Be" 

Filler-"Dig it", "Maggie Mae"

Great Songs- "Two of Us", "Dig a Pony", "Across the Universe", " I Me Mine", "Let it Be", "I've Got a Feeling", "One After 909", 'the Long and Winding Road", "For You Blue", "Get Back" 

Score-10

"Idlewild"

Filler-"Mighty O", "Idlewild Blue", "N2U", "Chronomentrophobia", "The Train", "Life is Like a Musical" "Hollywood Divorce", "Makes No Sense", "PJ & Rooster", "Mutron Angel", "the Greatest Show on Earth", "When I Look In Your Eyes", "Dyin to Live", A Bad Note"       

Great Songs-"Peaches", "Morris Brown" "Call the Law", "Buggface", "In Your Dreams"  

Score-5

Winner- The Beatles

Final Score- 

The Beatles -80

Outkast-55

To Outkast's credit, they are the only rap artists that you can compare to the Beatles. At the end of the day, they just can't hang as the Beatles were more prolific songwriters, whose work stands the test of time. If you are still in denial then let's look at who had the greatest impact on music. Outkast influenced a few neo-soul artists like Frank Ocean, but when they faded from the scene did not leave a lasting impression on the direction of hip-hop after they disbanded. It is sad because hip-hop would have been better for it if they had taken notes from Outkast and instead it devolved into mumble rapping trap pop, which led to Big Boi stating that is why they did not want to get back into the game because he did not fit in that picture. While the Beatles influenced almost everyone including Outkast, if we are going to name names the list would include David Bowie, Black Sabbath, Jimi Hendrix, George Clinton, Kiss, Radiohead, Queen, Pink Floyd, King Crimson, the Who, Motley Crue, Cheap Trick and trickled down into all the bands those bands influenced. Unfortunately, people are not educated in this regard, but now you are. 

pst9

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Doja Cat : "Scarlet"

You might wonder why I am reviewing the new Doja Cat, you might be more surprised to know I listened to her "Hot Pink" album quite a bit and found it leaned more in the direction of Grimes. Things have changed and Doja is more embedded in the industry and the machine that pumps out empty soulless music to the masses. If you think music is all a matter of opinion then lest us look at the facts . Hot Pink" had  15 producers  13 songwriters compared to this album which sadly boasts  27 producers and 33 songwriters.  For some perspective "Darkside of the Moon" only had three people  who were not in Pink Floyd, if you are counting the singer guesting on "Great Gig in the Sky". I know there is someone dumb enough to say 

"But could Pink Floyd make a video like Demons?" 

I guess you have never seen "The Wall".  But we are not here to talk about live shows or videos, just the music on the album.  So let's continue..."Paint the Town Red" works off a sample of Dionne Warwick's "Walk on By"  Upholding a legacy of the music machine since Burt Bacharach and Hal David, wrote the song for Dionne Warrick, but it only took a team of three in 1963, without the use of the technology  producers use today.  This finds her crossing over into just a streamlined radio friendly version. She sings the chorus, so singing her own hooks makes her worth more than rappers who don't but it's still a very low bar, as lyrically she is not doing anything different than Cardi B.  'Demons" is more aggressive. Lyrically it can be summed  up as masturbatory ego stroking, of a fictional persona she is playing.  The production is very different, as the vocals are given a filter to create the illusion that they are underproduced, so more like is given to the mix that has layers. It does not take a genius to know that   "Wet  Vagina" is just a ratchet version of 'WAP" . 

"Fuck the Girls" is ok for what it is , there is enough groove and hook, which is about all this sort of thing is worth. When she raps that "ya'll really phoned it in with the music lately"  it is hard to take seriously with four dozen producers working on this album. How many focus groups did this album in particular have to go through before it was released?  You would think we the team of songwriters on this that there would not be songs that lacked focus like "97'  thought given her track record the more experimental moments see most likely had more of a hand in. The chant of "looks like we don't give a shit" applies to how inspired the song is. 

"Gun" is about as bland as gets and lacks any personality of it's own, making her sound like another faceless corporate pawn. "Go Off" has more identity, but is not as good as "Shutco" that samples 10CC's "I'm Not in Love".  Some of the vocal layers on this album also draw inspiration from the song "Agora Hills" is another one of the lead singles from this album ,so it's one of the more meticulously constructed since there was more marketing money riding on it.  "Can't Wait" sounds like microwaved Lauryn Hill. By the time it gets to the jazzy musings of "Often" this album is becoming something to be endured rather than enjoyed. This song wanders and never finds it's way. If the purpose of this album was to defend her cred as a rapper then "Love Life" is not helping. The layers of sung vocals are more interesting, but lyrically her verses are bland. "Skull and Bones" had me thinking it was a continuation of the previous song.

"Attention" works better when she is singing than rapping. Rapping is not her strong suit, but that is how she wants to market herself. "Balut" makes me think of some of the atmospheric jazzy takes on hip hop during the 90s, but is less impressive. She does hit harder with her raps on 'WYM Freestyle" which is what she should have been doing this entire time and I might have been more impressed. I will round this down to a 6.5, it's polished and some of the songs are alright if you want mindless entertainment, she proves she is a better singer than a rapper, and this is the best an artist can sound when they are driving their career in the wrong direction. Would like to hear this with half the producers and songwriters, and then it might just sound like less than inspired pop music.

Snow Tha Product: "To Anywhere"

I have not reviewed a great deal of hip-hop this year as the bulk of it has been garbage. However, I was really looking forward to this album and finally tracked it down, it came out without a great deal of fanfare. The first track is poppier than I expected with Snow singing more than rapping, though she does cut loose in a few places. It's a laid-back track and really well done. She fires off in Spanish going into "Bajala". "Ranchito" is darker and finds her flow kicking in when she raps in English on the verse, though at 48 seconds it is more of an interlude. "Cash Cash" is more of what you might want from her, it's smart and aggressive in equal measure. 

"Not Today" gets more personal lyrically, it slaps pretty much from every direction. Her male counterparts need to take notes when it comes to songwriting. "Butter 2" might not be as impressive as the first version of "Butter" but it works for what she is doing. I like the darker tone to this album, as the music makes you feel like you took some painkillers the way it chills. "Tulum" switches back to a Spanish flare. Her voice cruises in a fluid place between singing and rapping. On songs like "Sola" the language barrier is rendered null as the music becomes the universal language with the cadence of her voice and how it rides the driving beat. "Pina" is more casually paced and leans a pop direction, so it is not as effective in this regard, but is still a good song. The song after this one falls along similar lines and gets similar results.  

"Avioncito" is smoother and emulates more mainstream pop in many ways though, though from the perspective of Latin radio. "Jarabe" is a little more upbeat but feels like it could just as easily be someone like Doja Cat. From a production standpoint it is easy to hear how someone like the Weeknd, has influence the market with this woozy production style. It is not until "No Hay Mas' that she bumps back with the kind of feel that resonates more as who she is. "For Real" teases the song "Say Bitch" but falls back into the albums poppier direction.  I will round this down to a 9, as it falls a little more middle of the road, however, it is still a great album in that it finds her trying new things and not making the same album twice, it might just take me a little time for it to grow on me. 

Kendrick Lamar: "Mr Morale & the Big Steppers"

After checking out his acclaimed "To Pimp a Butterfly" , which left me less than impressed, I skipped out on his "Damn" album, which also coincided with his newfound Christianity . With this album they hype is back. There is bound to be controversy as his faith places him at odds with things like cancel culture and gives a different slant to social topics, but when it comes to reviewing album I do not listen to music for social impact, I listen to songs, so at the end of the day the question that needs to be answered is can he write good songs consistently . As long as he does not start preaching, I am willing to look past his religious leanings . 

When it comes to his song writing ability he falls along the lines as most pop artists with questionable levels of talent as it takes 23 Producers and 37 songwriters to make this album, to give some perspective Pink Floyd's "Darkside of the Moon" album only had one additional songwriter outside of the band, which was the guest singer on "the Great Gig in the Sky" and 3 be assisting in engineering and mixing. You would think this assembly line of songwriters would have to make a flawless product. Not quite in fact, The first song is a rapid exclamation of lyrics, but really not substance in terms of songwriting. "N95" proves that they are capable of getting this absurd team of songwriters to crank out a song worth listening to with groove and vocals that work over said groove.

Reverse racism always get a pass in today's climate so no one will bat an eye at lyrical tone of " World Wide Steppers" . The song factory gets their shit together again for "Die Hard" . Lamar feels like a guest on his own song here. While we are talking about his talent as a rapper, my opinion that what he does Q-Tip has already done better remains intact. "Father Time" is about his daddy issues, and works as a song, not great but effective for what he does.  "Rich Spirit" is more laid back, the beat is minimal, but the song works for what they are going for.  "We Cry Together"  is Lamar is a relationship drama rapping Taylour Paige. The fact she is an actress playing a rapping here speaks to the depth of this. Once again he feels like a guest on his own song when it comes to "Purple Hearts". It is a well written song, just doesn't seem like it was written for him as Ghostface, puts on a better showing. 

Not sure this needed to be a double album, but that is what we are getting for every song like "Count Me Out " that works off a smarter pop sensibility with the grace of a hip hop Frank Ocean, there is a song where the song factory tries too hard and the experimentation goes awry like the more minimal "Crown" which has a piano drone rather than bumping beat. Sure you get credit for trying, but with this much money at stake you would think the factory would think of what is effective given they are working with a rapper rather than Prince. I had never heard Kodak Black until the song 'Silent Hill". It is smart he keeps himself shrouded in controversy or someone might notice his career is based off rather flimsy talent.  

The second part of this double album finds it getting mired into droning ballads and less focused.  "Saviour" is more upbeat, but less focused lyrically. "Auntie Diaries" might be about his trans aunt, but musically there is not much to it.  "Mr Morale" finds how he can take his more social focused lyrics and make them work over a futuristic beat.  "Mother I Sober" finds Beth Gibbon's guest appearance pretty much wasted on a boring drone of piano and spoke word more than rapping. Lyrically the message of letting go of event that you allow to hold you in a place in time is pretty great but that does not mean the song itself is great.  "Mirror" works better than the bulk of the songs on this album, so it is a good note for it to go out on.  I will give this album a 7, anyone who tells you it is the best album of the year, should not be trusted when it comes to music, I think if it was cut down to one album they might have had something more fun with out being dragged down from the boring drones of spoken word. 

Young Thug ; "Punk"

 

I loved his album "Beautiful Thugger Girls" but have been disappointed by the less than impressive work he released since. This album could be a step in the more out of the box song writing that marked "Thugger Girls". Hip hop seems to conform to factory setting more often than not these days. When things like guitars are introduced then he is a step ahead of the game, but at the top of his when he combines this with strong grooves and his quirkier lyrically delivery.  He often falls somewhere between singing and rapping. Granted he is a better rapper than a singer. When he tries to sing without the aid of auto-tune he is pitchy to say the least. The stripped-down intro, is not really much of a song so we will write it off as just an intro. "Stressed" is a little better but stays too close to what the rest of mainstream hip is doing. 'Stupid / Asking" is stupid lyrically with an almost childish slant, but it does so in a way that at least allows his personality to shine through. "Recognize Real" doesn't allow me to recognize it as a song that stands on its own as it is forgotten as soon as it's heard. 

"Contagious"  is more minimal in its instrumentation but plays by its own rules as he gets into his feelings. I think he hits the balance of all the elements he is playing with best on "Peepin in Window" .  Future's appearance on this song helps him as well. There distorted beat on " Rich Nigga Shit" sounds like a robot fart. I am not sure it was the best thing to anchor the song on, but it is a step closer in the direction of " Thugger Girls" so I am on board for it.  Juice WRLD , appear on the song as well, but he sounds just like everyone else. Post Malone saves the day on " Livin it Up" which is the strongest hook so far, as he fares better than the other guests so far. ASAP Rocky is also on this track.  His contribution just blends into everything else. By the time I get to "Yea Yea Yeah"   I am beginning to get the feeling that he would replicate "Thugger Girls' but does not want to commit to it. 

"Yea, Yea, Yea" shows that all the smoke and mirrors that keeps hip hop propped up is the sword it is going to die by since it is the sword it trying to live by. This song is not awful, but it is a clear snapshot of the writing on the wall. "Insure My Wrist" is weaker than "Scoliosis" with "Bubbly" stronger than both, even with Drake who I hate on the track, so the good news is the album gets better as it progresses. There is a poppier r&b feel to "Faces", it has a marginally better chorus, but as a whole is unfocused. While his off-kilter phrasing is his strength as a rapper, this minimal track behind him does not work as well to keep the songs strong.  The production is more experimental which is some ways takes cues from Travis Scott. This helps things to improve on "Fifth Day Dead". Overall though his lyrical themes are not a fresh as they once were. 

The question becomes can Doja Cat save "Icy Hot". The track they are rapping over is better than the bulk of the album, so she had a great deal to work with.  Nate Ruess from FUN drops a vocal on the ballad "Love You More". Which seems like it would be a surefire bet for radio if it was censored.  So as long as he has sufficient help, he seems to be ok, but left along Young Thug is kinda weak on this one. Maybe "Hate the Game" will prove this theory wrong has it does have a more unique quirk to it.  The last song lacks hook and Mac Miller proves himself pretty worthless. I will give this album an 8.5, as it is fun at times it just falls short of what I know he is capable of but that is better than most idiots making hip hop these days. 

Aesop Rock : "Spirit World Field Guide"

Opens with the title track which is really a spoken word intro. The first actual song is a lesson in what hip hop artists should do. He has a complex word flow weaving around the beat which has enough groove that your head never stops bobbing to the beat. The second song works off of what he already established works. On "Dog at the Door" he gives a minute and a half demonstration on how to switch up word play . He spits faster on "Gauze" which has a more interesting backing track , his lyrics darting in an out the paces in the music. If anyone doubts that hip hop can be just as vital and technically musical art form as any genre needs to listen to what he is doing here.  "Pizza Alley" find a more atmospheric mood underneath him which he makes work, but it is not as compelling as the first 4 song, 

"Crystal Sword" is not only as compelling as the first four songs it might even be better. At least that is my first thought though the beat is not as biting so the groove is not as urgent. "Boot Soup" is really interesting , as it is different from the other songs, the musical shift it makes is what wins me over. The way it shifts in the last minute of the song is jaw dropping. "Coveralls " works , though perhaps not the top tier of the albums songs. "Jumping Coffin" has enough funk to it so it sounds retro and futuristic at the same time,  The futuristic path is the road taken on "Holy Waterfall" . This one is without question one of the album's best songs. 

"Flies" is under a minute , while he crams more song into that you might expect. It does not go where the other songs can due to time constraints. There are 21 songs here , so with a double album like this I am not expecting every song to totally hit to the maximum. "Salt" musically paints a picture with the kind of surreal atmospheric weirdness we have known him in play in for sometime. "Sleeper Car" opens organ and then uses a more disjointed array of sounds . He is experimenting more with album for sure. "1 to 10" is more of an interlude than the other ditty that was under a minute.  "Attaboy" finds the funk again and it works well as he gets back on the spirit world lyrical theme. 

There is a more organic almost rock feel going into " Kodokushi" then the drugs kick in. "Fixed & Dialated" he creates a hook just by saying " hold up". Timing is every thing. The drums on this one are kicking so that helps/. "Side Quest" is just over a minute, so it falls into the same place as the first song that was under a minute. He hits you with a lot of songs here. The album is familiar yet different and give you an example of what he is one of the best at what he does so I will give it a 9 since the parts that did not knock me off my feet from the get go just need to grow on. 

Run the Jewels : "RTJ4"

Timing is everything. Especially when it comes to releasing what is the perfect sound track for the public consciousness right now. They released it for free on their website and it still clocked in on the Billboard Top...less impressive than it sounds as record labels have been holding back big releases due to Corona. Intellegent and aggressive in a manner than is not unlike Jurassic 5.  They have something to say and know how to say it. 2 Chainz has a hard time keeping up on "Out of Sight" . Killer Mike on the other hand has now had three albums before this one to acclimate to the more East Coast feel of the backing tracks.  The first three songs are pretty slamming then they lose momentum only by a few degrees on " Holy Calamafuck". Lyrically when they take shots at trap rap it is a strong moment, so the song grows on me , but lacks the groove.

"Goonies VS ET" find them continuing to cruise with the brakes on. They are becoming more experimental as the album progresses. This doesn't always play into the favor of their song writing. Not as dense in this department as Dalek. They recapture the spark of their song writing on "Walking in the Snow". "Jus$t" has Pharrell Williams and Zach De La Rocha. The propaganda is dialed up here in a manner not unlike that used by Rage Against the Machine. Yeah Zach's partner Tom Morello likes to use the fact he has a master's in politcal science to defend some of his shit, but I have masters in bi-polar, but I am still bi-polar, not to mention the fact you are basically saying "Yeah I raged with the machine and swallowed everything my liberal professors told me" ...but wait what does that have to do with this album, when it comes to that song everything. Normally I give some leeway when it comes to lyrics , but take away the lyrics from rap and what do you have ? Nothing.

"Never Look Back" your typical thinking man's hipster rap. I dod not envision this being a hit in the hood. The first few listens I was more sold on this album than when I sat down to analyze what is really going on here. "Ground Below" has politics up front and the groove not as urgent. "Pulling the Pin " with Mavis Staples and Josh Homme adding his trademark guitar does work pretty well. It gives the song a more organic feel despite the futuristic sounds that swirl around it. The rapped section come across more like spoken word than riding the beat. The last song is more about sound than song. I will round this up to a 9 as it is growing on me. It is not the best album of the year so far , not even in the top 10 , but as far as what we have gotten in terms of hip hop this year it's at the head of the class.

Shabazz Palaces : "the Don of Diamond Dreams"

The 5th album from this duo finds them continuing to pick up where Butler left off in Diggable Planets.   Their sound has more sonic layers. Psychedelic hip-hop would be a fair assessment. The sluggish robotics of "Fast Learner" is  as both cosmic and narcotic, so the album cover looks like this album sounds.  There is a pop touch added by the more sung vocal of Purple Tape Nate. There is more of an ironic feel to this than if they had an artist like the Weeknd add the hook. This album requires headphones rather than computer speakers. It's not the kind of hip hop to thump in your car as the grooves are lazy and abstract. The kind of sci-fi atmosphere of this album seems fitting given the current state of the world as we ready our dystopian soundtracks. Lyrically the out look is not grim as whole aside from questioning his social status. "Wet" is the first song that tends to conform more to the typical narrative of  hip hop in 2020. Not trap, more like the coffee shop that used to be ghetto before becoming gentrified.

The jazz influence is dialed way back from the Planets. There are flourished here and there. In the 90s that was more of thing. There are lots of retro synths on " Chocolate Soufflé " .  Butler muses that his phone is really not that smart here. He continues to be clever through the album. There are a few brief interludes called portals, which for the purpose of this review beat little weight on the album as a whole. "Bad Bitch Walking" is the kind of fantasy funk not unlike that of Outkast. It rides the bass line for almost three minutes before the verse comes in. For what these guys are doing this comes across as pretty straight forward as it is not colored by all the sounds being panned in. Hip hop producers should pay attention to what is going on with this album as they are ahead of their peers in how this is mixed. There are moments like the more 808 sound of "Yoga Money" that will not sound as alien to the more mainstream hip hop listener. This is the second song where there is more of a repetitive chant rather than going right into a flow of lyrics. "Yoga Money" has sparser lyrics.

"Thanking the Girls" is more like a r&b song due to the lyrical content. The minimalist beat contributes to this feel. I like the guitar tone that opens the last song. They kinda of jam out as the song floats when it unfolds. More like the kind of soul Marvin Gaye embarked upon with "Here My Dear". I will round this up to a 9 as the album sometimes meanders. This is the sound of 2020. The best hip hop album I have heard this year. But it is only April. Like their other albums this one drops on Sub-pop.

Eminem : "Music to Be Murdered By "

Three types of music should be offensive...metal, punk and rap. Marshall Mathers has been offending people since the 90s. His sound has changed by his verses are still sharp. The only problem is unless he is in the middle of one everything else sounds like everyone else.In particular his beats and the guest rappers sharing verses with him. Lyrically "You Gon' Learn" is tedious and the lyrical equivalent of a  CNN opinion piece. He gets his flare back and finds a sound that works best for him on " Those Kinds Nights".  Ed Sheeran really helps add a melodic dimension and Mathers falls back into a more familiar delivery. Some of the choruses he goes a little too r&b and takes his edge off. The chorus of "In Too Deep" sounds like it would be more at home on a Snoop Dogg album. He really shows his skills and precision as he builds speed on :"Godzilla". The late Juice Wrld's contribution is not as impressive.

With 11 years sober at 47 years old , there is a level of maturity you might expect from. You hear some of that on "Darkness" . Which eludes to the Vegas shooter and reflection on his past drinking. Production wise this album could use more Dr. Dre.  His prowess at spitting lyrics is what keeps even the more mediocre backing tracks in motion.  "Yah Yah" sounds like something Ole Dirty Bastard would have been about it. It is rough around the edges , but musically is one of the album's strongest moments so far. It is the only track at this point in the album where the guest rapper sharing verses with him are really worth a shit.. "Step Dad" proves to be a song that finds a balance between being true to his more classic sound and taking steps into new sounds. Though rapping about the 2nd grade when you are 47 is a little odd.

Sometimes it feels like he trying to hard on songs like " Never Love Again". It's not a bad song , it just feels like he throwing shit at a wall to see what sticks. This point is further exaggerated when followed by tracks that really find him at the top of his game. The chorus to "Little Engine" shows how he should do what he does best. I have heard Anderson Paak in other guest spots he has done for artists like Snoop. His voice works well on "Lock it Up" . Mathers works best when attitude and anger is the forefront. This is what makes "Farewell" click<. While I do not think from a song writing stand point this album is as inspired as his 2017 album "Revival" it is a pretty solid by him that finds Mathers blending his classic sound while still being relevant with the current climate of hip hop. />
13.6

Report to the Dance Floor- :Post Malone : "Hollywood's Bleeding"

If you are surprised I am covering this album then you must have missed out on my Taylor Swift review. It's ok it is only a few clicks back.  I see this guy as being about as Trap as Justin Bieber. Like Justin he makes some entertaining pop music. "Beerbones & Bentleys" was very hooky and well written. This is the bar this album is being held to. The opening title track is more atmospheric than his other stuff and not the most hooky The second song is better and plays more to his strengths. . He continues to sing more than he raps. Or another way to say this might be his supposed style of raps is sing song to the point of crossing over. By the time we get to "Enemies" he is locked back into his comfort zone.

The more new wave tone of "Allergic" is like the turn the Weeknd took on "False Alarm" . It's a cool song, but sets the record straight this is a pop album not a hip hop album. "A Thousand Bad Times" is another catchy song, though it justifies my Justin Bieber comparison. Lyrically this album falls along the same lines as the previous one. I might just need to grow on "Circles" is almost too happy for me. The bass contributes to this. The song is fairly guitar centered. Future joins him on "Die For Me" thus giving the song a stronger hip hop element. There is more auto tune on his voice on this one to conform more to the standard 2019 hip hop approach. Halsey also drops a pretty effective verse on this. He is doing what he does really well on "On the Road" which benefits from a solid groove.  Well... Ozzy is on "Take What You Want". It is a good song, but I am not sure how I feel for Ozzy's  sake.

"I'm Gonna Be" is an odd pop song. It might have to grow on me."Staring at the Sun" is another pop song, it has a lighter mood despite the lyrics though some what dialed in aside from the female vocal. There are however 17 songs so more margin of error. My guess is if this had been narrowed down to the 10 best songs it would have been am incredible album. The melody to "Sunflower" reminds me of M.I.A, what ever happened to her ?  It's beginning to add to the fact that this is a happier more upbeat album than the previous, perhaps he needs to do more drugs. At this point if you are not a fan of Malone you might wonder what   I consider a good song when it comes to Malone here,  this can best be explained by the song "Internet" . It is melodic pop with a drug glazed  attitude .  I am not looking for Morrissey quality lyrics. Sometimes he delivers this better than others "Goodbyes" just falls in the comfortable dialed in range of what he does.

"Myself" is well written for what it is and works for what he does. He needs to quit taking the meds the Doctors prescribe him and take the ones they are not.  "I Know" works , but is in the Bieberr zone. The last song "Wow" works for me after the second listen. The beat is pretty solid. I will give this album a 9, I could narrow this down to the ten songs that would make this a 10, but he would not stop while he was ahead so it is what is is and I am workign with what I am given. 

Report to the Dance Floor - Snoop Dogg : "I Wanna Thank Me"

Not all rappers hold up over time in fact once they get out of the game and begin appearing on TV shows and Movies, then you get to see who was really just an actor all along. Snoop has had his share of not so shining moments like his verse on Katy Perry's "California Girls" which was straight up terrible or his No Limit years, but he made "the Chronic" and his first album was super solid, so there is hope, after all murder was the case they gave him. The opening track is strong and it seems like he might be back on his game. However on an album with 20 songs there is more odds of error. I like the use of the Bob Marley song. It does not feel like Slick Rick adds much and lyrically it's feels like a public service announcement during Black History Month.  "Let Bygones Be Bygones"  has an old Death Row feel, since it is about Suge Knight.  Gang unity is a common theme that creeps up on songs through out the album , the topic first comes up on "One Blood , One Cuzz". This song also highlights the fact that Snoop came from a time where they cared about songs and the hooks were really strong.

The funky "Countdown" finds Snoop in his zone. The intro to "I C Your Bullshit" is silly, but it redeems itself wit ha cool old school 80s beat that sounds like it could have come from a Fat Boys song. Chris Brown lends his voice to "Turn Me On".  As modern pop cross over hip hop it works well. Snoops flow is great. Gangsta rap meets trap on "Blue Face Hunnids". This brings the past and present together well.  "New Booty"  touches on the homo erotic elements of prison I do not think I have ever heard anyone rap about it.  Like the smoke the song discusses " Take Me Away" breezes past with a lazy ambiance, I could have appreciated more when I was getting stoned.  There is a Caribbean flare  to  "Do It When I am In It". T o sound like it is from Miami it seems to be about   Magic City". There is a smooth Isaac Hayes feels to the laid back 70s groove of "First Place".  The keeps his momentum with "Focused". This album is really well produced and a song like this shows how he takes old school sounds and brings them into 2019.   

"Rise to the Top" goes a minute and a half before Snnop comes in. It's ok, but not the album's strongest song. The more r&b feel Nate Dogg gives to "Wintertime in June" works.  "Main Phone" recalls his more classic era. The 80s pop feel to "Do You Like I Do" is cool as he takes on this old school Janet Jackson feel. This might be one of the album's best songs, even though it doesn't not sound like what you expect from Snoop. On the flip side he smooth 'I've Been Looking For You" is very typical of what you expect from him. "UBITCHU" feels more like a Nikki Minaj song.  "Ventalation" fis right in the current tone of hip hop, though once again sounding nothing like the Snoop you might have showed up for until his verse. It closes with the title track that falls along the line of business as usual for Snoop.  I will round this one up to a 10 as the songs that did strike me on the first few listens will probably grow on me and the album's biggest accomplishment is how well he blends rap past , present and future. 

Report to the Dance Floor : The Weeknd's "Beauty Behind the Madness"

I think we know that pop music is my favorite palate cleanser to start the day off with before I spend the rest of the day listening to blacksludgepostdeathcrust metal. So my interest in Abel Makkonen Tesfaye should not be a great surprise as he is darker than your average r&b singer  and has been known to sample both Siouxsie and the Cocteau Twins, his drug use might explain for this taste in music, but whatever the case since it's time to look at the years best pop/electronic albums of the year, we need to give his 2015 album a glance under the sonic microscope. The album opens with a very passionate wink to another addict...Michael Jackson. The fuzz of the guitar being run through the intro sets things apart from the Great Gloved One, but the cadence of the melody would not sound out of place on the "Bad" album, carrying a similar steamy power as "Dirty Diana" but with less rock aspirations. British singer Labirinth joins up to take the second verse of "Losers" which doesn't get really dancey until after his verse. Which brings up one element of this album that bears mentioning, thanks to Swedish pop producer Max Martin, the arrangements on this album veer from the typical pop formula. The other part of the equation in as to what draws me in for repeat listens is the smart gangsta slant to the lyrics that works for me where his idol R. Kelly failed. "Tell Your Friends" leads the pack in this regard, where is "never rocking white he's like a racist" the idea of a party is "dropping dope dimes on some coke lines, getting head all night cumming four times" but being a gentle man he does ask his play mate if she would like to smoke a pound and do an ounce before getting dick and telling her friends about it. But delivering this in a very sensitive Michael Jackson really knocks this out of the park. Another more NSFW ode to what he does "Often" follows this one it has some drugged out witch house tones haunting it. "the Hills" is the song that got me onboard happens to be the same song he is getting sued for sampling from a horror, so that makes perfect sense as to why I would like it. Some of the more sappy elements of r&b even when filtered through his hyper sexual lense still can bog down songs like "Acquainted" which even after a few listens to see if it would grow me doesn't have the power found in some of the albums other hooks. The big radio hit "Can't Feel My Face" has it's merits even though being a little too happy for me with its funked up disco swagger. "Shameless" is one song I haven't really spent much time with, the vocal is strong, but like a few of the other songs it can be a little repitious and the track backing it doesn't have the same experimental darkness creeping into the corner of its eye. Lyrically its one of the album's bi-polar moments, either he's a pimped out playa or hopeless romantic, while I'm getting married in a few weeks going to show conversions can happen, in the tug of war his pimp side is lyrically more interesting.Like Ellie Goulding , whose album I have but don't feel it nesscessary to review, he also earned a place on the 50 Shades of Gray soundtrack, if you are familiar with my lifestyle work in Cvlt Nation, you can understand why I would think the movie is a joke, and yes I read the book before passing judgement. The string driven waltz is well done, I don't think's the album's strongest moment even though I like the falsetto passage. The very MJ influence "In the Night" still works on today's pop radio and I would like to hear a stronger dance remix, even though the chorus to this song gets the job done. "As You Are" is more of a ballad even with the beat behind it. Lyrically we are back to the bi-polar tug of war, he has handed in his pimp card for this one, in someways it reminds me of Twin Shadow. Things get real on the blues tinged "Dark Times" that Ed Sheeran" who looks too much like Bilbo Baggins for me to take seriously if I was going to watch play this song live, but I did not know what he looked until I heard the lyrics, it hits home for me as it reminds me of many a morning after during by drug days, so I applaud the writing. "Prisoner" might have Lana Del Rey on it , but is not any more compelling than a Dido b-side. The ballad"Angel" closes out the album and is another song I haven't give a ton of time, I do like the big 80s feel to it. Even if it's not the song that has the Cocteau Twins sample it does have a hint of their sound. Maty Noyes adds vocals to the song as well. Its easy for me to round this one up to a

13.7

Report to the Dance Floor :Julian Rhine's " No God Flow"

When you take a listen to the new single "No God Flow" it will be clear that is different abut this song, despite all of the elements  from different decades coming together here before being spit out by Julian Rhine, who excels at blending the more classic era of 90's hip hop with current sounds. The female vocals in the song's hook avoids clichés and further emphasize how Rhine stands apart from the pack.

This Brooklyn born artist who relocated to the East Village , has enough radio sensibility , that the less musically savvy fans of mainstream  pop will still find  some familiar sounds like the auto tuned electronic melodies to latch onto . These are just used for effect and musicianship is not being compensated for here.He is aided by Jae Mi who contributes her vocals to this song, has some pipes on her without over singing in a diva like manner. She serves the song and doesn't have your stereotypical pop r&b voice.

Rather than having bitches and bling as his rap platform, he instead is about his gang ward with God, taking a stance to fly the colors of atheism . He is quoted as saying.

"We are taking such great strides to finally exist in a United States that practices what it preaches: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Still, persecution for "alternative" religious beliefs - including atheism, secularism and all forms of spirituality - is rampant and we cannot allow this. We need this freedom. We will take this freedom." 

Rhine puts his lyrics where his mouth is and backs up his beliefs on the mic with  lyrics straying from your typical urban tales. Considering how most rapper's  grand parents grew up going to church , it's no surprise  none have really dared be a bold as to state  "Rappers ain't hard if they fear god" . Making this song the hip hop version of the Bill Maher film "Religious".


His ability to demonstrate song writing chops has been displayed on the harder flow of "New York City" which also carries the same pop smarts of "No God Flow" but with out coming across as being soft or selling out. The synth sound shifts into a darker groove over the otherwise old school b-boy beat.Saying Julian Rhine is a rapper is oversimplifying it. I can see what he does going over the head of your average hip-hop fan and appealing more to fans of bands like the Gorillaz as some of his material such as the song "Stunning" is more alternative than not, despite the vocal approach, which is rapping but not unlike what 311 does.

"No God Flow" is a bold new move to reignite thinking in hip-hop and is something I can get behind. This says lot considering how little of the art form has moved me in recent years. His new single is a must to check out if you have any interest in the genre.