Tag: 2088

Jhené Aiko – “Westside Whimsy” review

Jhené Aiko is a 38 year old singer/songwriter, musician & producer from Los Angeles, California who was supposed to debut in the early 2000s until Epic Records shelved her. She would eventually return in 2011 when I was in 8th grade for her debut mixtape Sailing Soul(s), which resulted in No I.D. signing her to his Def Jam Recordings imprint ARTium Recordings. She has since become the label’s most prominent artist following her debut extended play Sail Out, her full-length debut Souled Out, the sophomore effort Trip & lastly Chilombo only a week prior to the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic taking full effect.

After the “Wild Cat(s)” intro, “Ghost” opens up with this moody instrumental singing about being in a loop whereas “Break” made for a decent alternative R&B single telling Big Sean to take his time upon their split after being together for a decade. I was disappointed Ab-Soul only did ad-libs instead of having a verse on “Love Bomb” although Jhené does holds it down well by herself singing about getting active until “Ceiling” freestyles over a summery boom bap beat cautioning she’s the bitch you shouldn’t do wrong.

“Nothing Nice to Say” explains the very reason she hasn’t been quiet in the midst of someone lying straight to her face just before “He Belongs” instrumentally brings a woodwind in the picture singing about a man who fits in with every woman he meets & everyone else except her. “Like, Whatever” featuring Tyga pretty much encapsulates my feelings towards the latter’s verse & the worst guest appearance here while “You” sings about having a million reasons why this dude isn’t the guy.

To bridge Westside Whimsy, we have Jhené advising “Don’t Be That Guy” taking it back to the boom bap vibes explored earlier leading into “Lullaby” going full alternative R&B again singing about how she’d rather close her eyes than leave his side. “Neighbors” featuring her new partner Larry June blends PBR&B with hip hop expressing the love at first sight they had for one another while “Mine” produced by Boi-1da & PARTYNEXTDOOR sings about feeling happy being with Larry.

“So Good” featuring Kendrick Lamar trades verses over one of the absolute smoothest beats Sounwave has ever made playing off each other perfectly while “Beach Boy” sings about needing a person who knows how to ride when the tide’s too high in the evening. “Unicorn” asks if it would be lovely if she & Larry had their own paradise likening their love to an island only they can go to while “I Don’t Mind” sings about feeling the envy of others whenever she steps inside the room.

The song “Nami’s Haiku” dedicates a brief collection of short form poetry to her daughter & eldest child Namiko Browner over a spacious alternative R&B beat while “A Living Light” takes some more stripped-back approach in terms of sound singing about dying at night only to be reborn in the morning right when the sun comes up. The closing track “Golden Coast” featuring nu jazz duo OHMA spends Westside Whimsy’s remaining minutes telling this individual shining through their darkest nights that they still have plenty of light left.

Confessing the reason it took so long for Jhené Aiko to come back was because life knocked her on her ass, Westside Whimsy still remains a solid comeback regardless of it not reaching the same pedestal Souled Out had when she has the capability of surpassing it. The neo-soul, alternative/contemporary R&B, pop rap & smooth soul production feels grounded in her west coast origins recapping everything that’s happened to her since COVID with a guest list who mostly deliver other than only 1 blatant exception.

Score: 3.5/5

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Big Sean – “Better Me Than You” review

Detroit, Michigan rapper & singer/songwriter Big Sean returning after 3 years to release his 7th LP. Coming up as a protege of Chicago icon Kanye West & signing to his Def Jam Recordings imprint G.O.O.D. Music, he generated some buzz in the late 2000s by dropping the Finally Famous mixtape trilogy, but it wouldn’t be until 2011 when his profile significantly increased when Sean dropped a 4th installment as his full-length debut. This was followed up the next year with the highly acclaimed Detroit mixtape & then a sophomore album the year after that entitled Hall of Fame. However, his next 2 full-lengths Dark Sky Paradise & I Decided. were both mediocre in comparison to all those past efforts. Now the last time Big Sean dropped a project was in late 2017 with Double or Nothing which had INCREDIBLE production from Metro Boomin’ top to bottom, but Sean himself was SEVERELY lacking. His G.O.O.D. Music contract was fulfilled with the surprisingly mature Detroit II & the Hit-Boy produced What You Expect? was better, but is coming back addressing some leaks over a month ago brushing off that it’s Better You Than Me.

After the “Pressure” intro, the first song “Iconic” that by BNYX of Working on Dying alongside Hit-Boy, Rogét Chahayed & Tom Levesque of Vanguard Music Group cooked up together starts us off on some trap rock shit flexing his icon status whereas “Typecast” takes the cloudy trap route instrumentally showing off the pimpin’ in his blood feelin’ like Jerry Buss in the arena. “Break the Cycle” featuring Uncle Charlie Wilson of the Gap Band on the hook has a funky boom bap flare that Leon Thomas III provides callin’ out those who believe more than what actually happened, but then “Who You Are (Superstar)” brings a triumphant trap vibe to the table calling his #1.

“Yes” was an mediocre 2-part trap single that FNZ helped put together with an annoying ass hook telling us the way he responds when muhfuckas say no just before “It Is What It Is” featuring Gunna picks things back up from the synth-trap beat from Turbo to the lyrics about how this is only as big as it gets. “Apologize” is a self-produced drumless open letter to Sean’s mentor Ye which isn’t surprising since Kanye talked mad shit about him in that 2021 Drink Champs interview & after the “Clarity” skit, “On Up” has an old school west coast sound that FF for Def Entertainment in-house producer KeY Wane brings to the table dedicated to his son Noah.

Meanwhile on “Something”, we have Syd of The Internet & originally Odd Future joining the Sean Don for a subdued trap/pop rap joint reminding the listeners that we all have our different bullshit that we’re each going through in our lives until Thundercat provides a psychedelic tone for “Black Void” being done with the disrespect. “This n That” featuring Bryson Tiller & Kodak Black ruins a heavenly Hit-Boy instrumental talking about taking psychedelic mushrooms & 1,000,000 Pieces” featuring Larry June likens their lives to a puzzle broken down to so many pieces over a mellowly dusty instrumental.

“Get You Back” featuring Cash Cobain gets into the sexy drill style that the latter sample drill pioneer has become known for in regards to his solo work with the help of WondaGurl talking about ex while “Certified” featuring the late D12 leader Proof’s son Nasaan vibrantly boasts their certifications in the rap game. After the “Focus” skit, “Boundaries” points out that time ain’t running out when it’s really life running its course while “Precision” was a decent trap/chipmunk soul hybrid.

As we approach the final moments of Sean’s first full-length outing since leaving G.O.O.D. Music, the official closer “My Life” finds KAYTRANADA backing Sean with synths & an outro skit “Happiness” that really should’ve been separated into a track of it’s own telling us he had to boss up & the bonus cut “Together Forever” makes me want The Alchemist to do an entire project for Sean in the future whether it be the gospel flip or the Detroit star saving some of the best lyrics for last.

Better Me Than You surges beyond the sentimental to embody something altogether more meaningful regarding the man behind the mic & I respect that he’s at a point in his life where he lets things happen when they’re supposed to happen, yet I didn’t enjoy it as much as Hall of Fame or Detroit or even the sequel & What You Expect?. All 4 of which are my favorites in his discography. Even if some of the production & guests falter, I can’t dismiss the newfound perspective.

Score: 3/5

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