Tag: Roc Nation

The LOX – “L.O.X. (Living Off Xperience)” review

The LOX are a renown hip hop trio from Yonkers, New York consisting of Jadakiss, Styles P & Sheek Louch. They made their full-length debut at the beginning of 1998 by dropping Money, Power & Respect under Bad Boy Entertainment & would outdo themselves in 2000 with the Ruff Ryders-backed We Are the Streets. Last we heard from the 3 was in 2016 when they dropped their comeback effort Filthy America… It’s Beautiful under their own label D-Block Records with distribution from Roc Nation Records but as summer draws to a close, The LOX are getting back together for their 4th full-length album.

Things start off with “Gave It to ‘Em”, where the trio talk about hooking cats up over an galactic-sounding instrumental fromaraabMUZIK. The next song “Move” brags back & forth with one another bragging over a dreary trap beat from Scott Storch while the track “‘Bout Shit” with DMX sees the 4 talking about going all out over a Scram Jones beat with an alluring sample. The song “Testify” prays for their friends over a climactic instrumental while the track “Miss You” is of course a heartbreak anthem with a lush beat.

The song “Story” might be my favorite on the entire album as The LOX of course get into their storytelling bag over a somewhat funky Nottz beat while the track “Do to Me” gets back on the romance tip over a moody Scott Storch beat. The song “Come Back” talk about their return to the rap game over a somber instrumental from Statik Selektah while the track “Think of The LOX” with Westside Gunn & Benny the Butcher sees the 5 talking about being the best over an unsettling boom bap beat from Large Professor.

The song “My America” talks about how the trio are tired of the racism in our country over a boom bap beat with some melancholic background vocals while the track “Net Worth” gets materialistic over a bland instrumental. The tracks “Dirty Dirty” & “Commitment” are the last ones on the album that’re on the lovey dovey side of things, but they’re easily the most excruciating ones in the tracklist. The album finishes off with “Loyalty & Love”, where The LOX talk about brotherhood over a luxurious boom bap beat.

If you ask me, this is WAY better than Jadakiss’ latest album Ignatius. Could’ve done without the redundant & corny radio cuts, but you can definitely hear how much The LOX have grown together as a group throughout the past 26 years of their career. Especially on the more grimier joints on here.

Score: 3.5/5

Jay Electronica – “A Written Testimony” review

It’s actually here; the full-length debut from New Orleans emcee/producer Jay Electronica. Ever since his breakout mixtape Act 1: Eternal Sunshine (The Pledge) in 2007, this has become one of the most anticipated hip hop albums within the past decade. But after 13 years, the day has finally arrived & he has enlisted JAY-Z to provide verses throughout much of it.

After the “Overwhelming Event” intro, we get into the first song “Ghost of Soulja Slim”. Where both Jays make references to death as well as racism & Islam over a grand instrumental from Electronica himself. “The Blinding” talks about Electronica’s return over an instrumental from araabMUZIK alongside Hit-Boy & Swizz Beatz that starts off with a grim atmosphere, but then transitions into something more calming. “The Neverending Story” talks about the noblest of gentlemen over an alluring instrumental from The Alchemist while the song “Shiny Suit Theory” is pretty much an adviseful conversation on wax backed by a jazzy beat.

The track “Universal Soldier” talks about wanting to be saved from themselves over a heavenly boom bap beat while the song “Flux Capacitor” finds both rappers being off beat to the point where it’s distracting. The track “Fruits of the Spirit” is solely Electronica comparing himself to Thanos over a soulful instrumental from No I.D. while the song “Ezekiel’s Wheel” addresses those who ever doubted this day ever come & it’s so long that the Brian Eno sample starts to become annoying before it’s even over. The album finishes off with “A.P.I.D.T.A.”, which pays tribute to those in Jay’s life that’re no longer here over a guitar instrumental that fits the tone fantastically.

Does this deliver after such a long wait? To me, yes. The mixing could’ve been better at some parts but Electronica’s smart lyricism remains intact, Hov compliments him like Ghostface Killah did with Raekwon on Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… & the abstract production is really creative.

Score: 4/5

Rapsody – “Eve” review

Rapsody is a 36 year old MC from Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina that rose to prominence this decade with a handful of mixtapes & EPs. Her 2012 debut album The Idea of Beautiful continued to show her potential, but it wouldn’t be until the Roc Nation Records backed Laila’s Wisdom in 2017 that she would truly refine her style & sound almost perfectly. 2 years have passed & she has teamed up with Def Jam Recordings to deliver her highly anticipated 3rd full-length album.

The album kicks off with “Nina”, where Rapsody gets ambitious over a soulful beat. The next song “Cleo” sends a message to the naysayers over a boom bap beat from 9th Wonder sampling Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight” while the track “Aaliyah” ponders about that somebody over an Eric G beat with some beautiful background vocals. The song “Oprah” with Leikeli47 sees the 2 talking about being masters over an instrumental with some rubbery bass while the track “Whoopi” gets cocky over a quirky Khrysis beat.

The song “Serena” talks about not stopping over a restful instrumental while the track “Tyra” talking about how fine she is over a woozy beat. The song “Maya” talks about elevation over a soulful yet flute-heavy instrumental from 9th Wonder while the track “Ibtihaj” with GZA is pretty much a modern version of “Liquid Swords” down to the exact same Willie Mitchell sample.

The song “Myrlie” gets conscious over a glitchy vocal sample & after the “Reyna’s Interlude”, the next joint “Michelle” talks about a lady’s party over a funky beat. The track “Inman” with J.I.D sees the 2 paying tribute to black men over a minimalist yet luscious beat while the song “Hatshepsut” with Queen Latifah sees the 2 talking about being the right women for their fellas over a piano-inflicted boom bap beat. The penultimate track “Sojourner” with J. Cole sounds just as witty as it did on Jamla’s the Squad II last winter & then the album finishes with “Afeni”, where Rapsody is talking to abusive men over a grand instrumental.

All that being said, Rapsody gives us another example as to why she’s the best female lyricist in hip hop right now. The production is sweet to the ear & her intelligent bars never fail to amuse me.

Score: 4/5

Vic Mensa – “Hooligans” review

Vic Mensa is a 25 year old rapper, singer & songwriter from Chicago, Illinois who rose to fame in 2013 with the release of his INNANETAPE mixtape. He then dropped his debut album The Autobiography last summer & now in the midst of his recent BET Cypher controversy, he’s delivering his 4th EP.

Things kick off with “Dancing in the Streetz”, where Vic compares himself to a messiah over a nondescript trap beat that was surprisingly self-produced. The next song “Dark Things” sounds like a dime a dozen take on the current emo rap trend while the track “In Some Trouble” is a corny love tune. The song “Rowdy” with G Herbo is a mediocre club banger while the track “Reverse” with G-Eazy is a bland bragging anthem with an EDM beat from Marshmello.

The song “Klonopin” is a horrid auto-croon ballad produced by Travis Barker of all people while “The 1 That Got Away / No Shoes” starts off promising talking about success over a soul sample, it’s really the 2nd half of it that ruins it. The EP then ends with “Deserve It”, where Vic continues to boast over a boring trap beat.

I’ve been holding out hope that Vic would continue to show his potential on this, but this made me realize it was a total pipe dream. Instead, he’s trying to sound trendy & cool when it’s not working at all.

Score: 1/5

T.I. – “DIME TRAP” review

T.I. is a 38 year old rapper from Atlanta, Georgia who started out as the founding member of P$C in 1997. He then went solo in 2001 with his debut album I’m Serious, but it didn’t do well commercially & he was dropped from Arista Records as a result. He then formed his own label Grand Hustle Records & dropped his sophomore album Trap Muzik in 2003, which had a huge hand in popularizing the titular hip hop subgenre. He then continued the success of that album with Urban Legend & King, but then his next album T.I. vs. T.I.P. would be a disappointing longwinded mixed bag with a pretty great concept. He redeemed himself with Paper Trail in 2008, but dropped another mixed bag with No Mercy in 2010. Both of which came out during back to back prison sentences. He then returned to the scene at the end of 2012 with the flawed yet solid Trouble Man: Heavy is the Head in 2012 as well as the Pharrell executive produced Paperwork in 2014. He then took a more political tone at 2016 with his double EP Us or Else: Letter to the System but now, he’s returning with his highly anticipated 10th full-length album.

Things kick off with “Seasons”, where TIP talks about his desire to succeed over an organ. The next track “Laugh at ‘Em” is a middle finger to his haters over a triumphant Just Blaze beat while the song “Big Ol’ Drip” vividly talks about the drug dealing lifestyle over a trap beat with some nice horns in the mix. The track “Wraith” with Yo Gotti sees the 2 getting braggadocious over a gloomy Scott Storch instrumental while the song “The Weekend” with Young Thug talks about partying over a boom bappy Swizz Beatz instrumental with a prominently twangy guitar.

The track “The Amazing Mr. Fuck Up” endearingly addresses his current relationship with his wife Tiny over a laidback boom bap beat with Victoria Monet providing some background vocals while the song “At Least I Know” continues the theme of the previous joint with a moody beat. The track “What Can I Say?” reflects on how he got to where he is today over a druggy trap beat while the song “Jefe” with Meek Mill sees the 2 charismatically calling themselves bosses over a Latin-infused trap beat from Bangladesh. The track “More & More” with Jeezy sees the 2 talking about making money over a gritty trap beat with an organ while the song “Pray for Me” does talk about backstabbers, the YFN Lucci verse at the start is probably the weakest feature on the entire album.

The track “Looking Back” sees TIP getting retrospective on his life over a somber David Banner instrumental while the song “Light Day” is a message to those who wanna live the life that T.I. lived in the past with what could very well be the best flow on the entire album. The penultimate track “You” talks about judgmental people over an instrumental with a somber atmosphere to it & the closer “Be There” is all about being by someone’s side when feeling down over an eerie instrumental with a guitar that kicks in later.

For the 4 year wait, this was well worth it. The production’s on point, Dave Chappelle’s narrations are intelligent & T.I. gets a lot off his chest lyrically. If you wanna hear a trap legend sounding more mature than ever, then give this a listen.

Score: 4/5

The Carters – “EVERYTHING IS LOVE” review

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The Carters are a musical duo consisting of legendary Brooklyn MC JAY-Z & his wife, former Destiny’s Child member & Houston popstar Beyoncé. Their latest albums Lemonade & 4:44 saw them at their most personal, but now they’re closing out the trilogy with a collaborative effort.

The album starts off with “SUMMER”, which is a sex song over a Cool & Dre instrumental that suits the mood fantastically. The next track “APESHIT” is an energetic club banger with an infectious Pharrell beat & Bey’s rapping was a very nice touch. The song “BOSS” talks about success over a triumphant trap beat from D’Mile & Mike Dean while the track “NICE” with Pharrell sees the 3 getting braggadocious over some beautiful keys & rattling hi-hats. The song “713” is a dedication to Beyoncé’s hometown over an instrumental with heavy bass with even some Scott Storch-like keyboards. It makes even more sense that Bey interpolates the classic Dr. Dre tune “Still D.R.E.” in the hook, but that’s really the only part of the song that I’m realistically not crazy about.

The track “FRIENDS” sees the 2 individually dedicating the time to song crew over a gloomy trap beat from Boi-1da & for some reason NAV while the song “HEARD ABOUT US” tells their critics to watch their mouths over a funky beat. The penultimate track “BLACK EFFECT” sees the 2 intelligently talking about being African American over a soulful trap beat & then it finishes perfectly with “LOVEHAPPY”, where the ‘03 Bonnie & Clyde go back & forth with each other about professing their love for each other as well as moving on from the whole Becky incident over a beautiful Eddie & Ernie sample.

I’m well aware that Jigga intentionally gave us this  just the day after the new Nas album NASIR & while that is definitely superior, I still thought this was a lovely way to end the trilogy. Given what they’ve been through, the impeccable chemistry between JAY-Z & Beyoncé is a lot more stronger than it’s been in the past. Most of the instrumentals are luscious too & while I do enjoy a handful of trap music, I feel like a few of the beats on here sounded like they were forced to throw in hi-hats when they really didn’t need to

Score: 4/5

J. Cole – “K.O.D.” review

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With his last album 4 Your Eyez Only being delivered at the end of 2016 & then doing a few features since then, North Carolina rapper/producer J. Cole unexpectedly announced a free show in New York this past Monday. It was there that he performed his 5th full-length album in it’s entirety & went on Twitter shortly after the show to announce that it was coming out for everyone else this weekend. After an intro, we go into the title track. Here, Cole gets in your face about people cramping his style as well as responding to the people saying he should have more features over a murky instrumental. The track “Photograph” has a lame topic about trying to hook up with a random girl he found on social media over a guitar/trap beat while the song “The Cut Off” talks about a disloyal woman over a somber beat.

The track “ATM” energetically talks about his fame & wealth over a laidback beat while the song “Motiv8” talks about moving on despite having all these demons over some funky bass. The track “Kevin’s Heart” goes into the point of view of a drug addict over a smooth trap beat, but it’s really corny to me. The song “Brackets” talks about his success over a smooth beat & the track “Once an Addict” talks about his mother’s alcoholism over a settle beat. The song “Friends” is basically him pouring his heart out to a drug-addicted friend of his over a gloomy beat while the penultimate track “Window Pain” talks about everything he wants over an atmospheric instrumental. The album closes with “1985” sees Cole is reflecting on his whole life up until this point over a vibraphone-boom bap beat.

While this is definitely better than Cole’s last album, that’s not really saying much. The production & the concept aren’t too bad, but his singing voice & the hooks ruin it for me. I really had hope that J. Cole would bounce back given his features on the new Jeezy album Pressure & the upcoming Royce da 5’9” album Book of Ryan but at the end of the day, this is just another mixed bag for me

Score: 3/5

Rapsody – “Laila’s Wisdom” review

After signing to Roc Nation last year, North Carolina MC Rapsody is delivering her sophomore full-length album & her first in 5 years. The album opens up with the title track, where Rapsody tells you not to worry about anyone tells you along with knowing your worth & the instrumental from Nottz has some great piano chords along with some boom bap drums & even choir vocals. The next song “Power” with Kendrick Lamar gets self-explanatory & their chemistry on here is just as great as it was on “Complex (A Zulu Love)” off of Kendrick’s previous album To Pimp a Butterfly. Also, I really like the Bootsy Collins sample that Rapsody’s mentor 9th Wonder uses for the instrumental. The track “Chrome (Like Ooo)” talks about ending your career if you diss her along with respecting the driver more than the ride & while the production from Ka$h & Khrysis was just ok to me, her ambition really makes up for it. Also, I found the Forest Whitaker line near the end of the first verse to be pretty funny & clever. The song “Pay Up” vividly tells the story of a money hungry woman along with the final verse being about her bum-ass boyfriend who wants to get her pregnant over a funky instrumental. The track “Ridin’” with GQ speaks on finding oneself but with a dark tone to it & the instrumental from 9th & Eric G. starts off with a spacey time, but then it nicely transitions into something more boom bap-esque for the final verse. The song “Sassy” flaunts about success over a vibrant instrumental & the charismatic tone in her voice is absolutely absolutely flawless. The track “Nobody” intelligently talks about how no one really knows anything from Biggie & 2Pac’s murderers to even minding one’s business over a smooth instrumental. Also, I think the one line during the 2nd verse about how you can’t divide hip hop at all despite not everyone liking someone in the vein of Waka Flocka Flame is absolutely true. As for the features, the Anderson .Paak hook is on point & the Black Thought verse is just as flawless as one would expect. The song “Black & Ugly” dives into beauty over a 9th Wonder instrumental with some scent guitar licks as well as some explosive boom bap drums & I really like how she incorporates her personal experiences into it. Also the hook from BJ the Chicago Kid kinda reminds me of D’Angelo for some reason, but not in a bad way at all. The track “You Should Know” sees Rapsody getting braggadocious about her skills over an menacing instrumental from 9th, but then it transitions into something more lush & we are treated with a verse from Busta Rhymes that compliments Rapsody perfectly. The song “A Rollercoaster Jam Called Love” talks about staying with her man no matter what & the way 9th constantly changes the instrumental after each verse is just fantastic. The track “U Used 2 Love Me” is basically Rapsody speaking to her ex-boyfriend & musically, it really gives me some Zapp vibes & 9th did a damn good job at it. The song “Knock on My Door” vividly talks about Rapsody’s desire to have a man over her place over some jazzy piano keys along with a soul sample in the back. The penultimate track “OooWee” was taken from Rapsody’s 3rd EP Crown that came out last November, but it still sounds great from her aggressive delivery & the Anderson .Paak hook to the guitar loop throughout. The album then closes out with “Jesus Coming”, where Rapsody creatively spits about “going home” in 3 different perspectives over a spacey instrumental & the Amber Navran hook is beautiful. If you ask me, this could very well be Rapsody’s best work yet. The production (mostly handled by 9th Wonder) is beautiful, the features fit in perfect, Rapsody’s lyricism is stronger than before & the passion that was put into it is as bright as day. I know a lot of cats are stuck on Cardi B’s latest hit single “Bodak Yellow” but if you want an actual female MC with intelligent lyrics & organic production, PLEASE give this a listen

Score: 4.5/5

Vic Mensa – “The Autobiography” review

Almost 2 months after releasing his 2nd EP The Manuscript, SAVEMONEY leader Vic Mensa is finally releasing his full-length debut. The album kicks off with “Didn’t I (Say I Didn’t)”, where he’s passionately & gratefully talking about making it to the top over a beautiful Darondo sample as well as a semi-funky guitar. The next track “Memories on 47th St.” pretty much speaks for itself, as Vic’s vividly reflecting about the rough days of living in his home block over a murky beat. The song “Rollin’ Like a Stoner” originally appeared as the 3rd track off of The Manuscript, but it still sounds like a knockoff of “Pursuit of Happiness” by KiD CuDi in every aspect. And on top of that, I don’t really care for Vic’s delivery. Especially when the hook comes around. The track “Homewrecker” with Weezer sees Vic pretty much blaming himself for breaking up with his ex-girlfriend & he even recalls a couple fights that they’ve had with each other over a somber rap rock instrumental. The song “Gorgeous” then talks about Vic wanting to be with 2 different women instead of 1 over a Daft Punk-inspired instrumental & as much as I love Syd, I found her feature on here to be just ok. The track “Heaven on Earth” is a dedication to his murdered friend Cam & I absolutely love how Vic writes the 2nd & 3rd verse from the perspectives of both Cam & his murderer respectively. The production has an eerie atmosphere to it & The-Dream’s hook sounded like it was sung by an angel. After a 70 second skit, we are then treated to the next song on the track listing “Down for Some Ignorance (Ghetto Lullaby)”. Here, both Vic & Chief Keef speak on Chicago street violence over a creepy-sounding beat from the ever so underrated Mike Dean. The next song “Coffee & Cigarettes” sings then later raps about the first girl to break Vic’s heart over a electric guitar passage, but then transitions into some piano keys along with some decent drums. The track “Wings” expresses Vic’s desires to get away from all the drama in his life & the beat from Pharrell will just make you wanna start bouncing. The next song is pretty much The-Dream reprising “Heaven on Earth” by himself for 2 minutes, but with completely different lyrics & a different instrumental. It’s ok. The track “The Fire Next Time” talks about overcoming dark times & the production from No I.D. has this down-tuned electric guitar throughout that sounds pretty cool. The closer “We Could Be Free” talks about us being slaves of our own pain over a somber guitar, but then it adds an ambitious atmosphere near the end. As for the Ty$ feature, I didn’t think his vocals during the outro were gonna be as beautiful as they were. We then get 2 bonus tracks “OMG” & “Rage”, both of which also appeared on The Manuscript & sound a lot better than “Rollin’ Like a Stoner” did. While this obviously isn’t better than INNANETAPE, it was still worth the long wait. The lyrics are immensely personal & while there are a couple duds in the track listing, the production fits the vibes of these personal stories well for the most part. If any of you were like me & thought his last couple EPs were alright, then give this thing a listen because it really does live up to it’s title

Score: 3.5/5

JAY-Z – “4:44” review

Almost 4 years after the disappointingly mediocre Magna Carta…Holy Grail, renown Brooklyn rapper & businessman JAY-Z is finally delivering his 13th album & he has enlisted No I.D. to produce it in it’s entirety. The opener “Kill JAY-Z” talks about killing his ego over a soulful instrumental & it even addresses his Throne cohort Kanye West’s stage rants from last November. Despite calling him insane, he does assure Ye that he does feel bad for him. The next song “The Story of O.J.” sees JAY getting conscious over some piano keys & a sample of “4 Women” by Nina Simone. Matter of fact, Jigga actually makes a PERFECT reference to the original Nina Simone song during the hook. The track “Smile” talks about pushing through the pain & while I don’t care for the drums at all, the Stevie Wonder sample is nice & I love the background vocals too. Also, the outro from his mother Gloria (whom JAY publicly announces & supports for being a lesbian near the end of the first verse) was endearing. The song “Caught Their Eyes” talks about watching your surroundings over an instrumental with a tropical vibe to it & the Frank Ocean hook isn’t as great as his hook on “Oceans” was, I still liked it. The title track is a sincerely delivered apology to Jigga’s wife Beyoncé & the soul sample on here enhances the remorse that JAY is letting out. Despite the song “Family Feud” being said to be about the recent beef between older & younger hip hop artists, it could possibly refer more to his wife almost leaving him for cheating on her (especially with the line at the beginning of the 3rd verse about telling Becky to let him alone). Also, Beyoncé’s background vocals that can be heard throughout the entire track are just beautiful. The track “Bam” has a braggadocious tone to it lyrically & while I do enjoy the horns as well as the hook from Damian Marley, that one line Rae Sremmurd & Bobby Shmurda at the beginning of the 2nd verse is really corny. However, he does make an interesting reference to “30 Hours” off of Kanye’s latest album The Life of Pablo shortly after. Plus, there’s no denying that the IG pictures line during the first verse couldn’t be any more true The song “Moonlight” is a message to all the new rappers & I absolutely LOVE the “Fu-Gee-La” sample on here. The penultimate track “Marcy Me” is a dedication to the streets delivered over a soothing instrumental, but I thought the reference to “Unbelievable” by Biggie during the intro was just ok. Same goes with the outro from The-Dream. The album then closes out with “Legacy”, where his daughter Blue Ivy asks him what a will is & he responds by talking about his family’s workmanship over some jazzy horns. If any of you were disappointed with Magna Carta…Holy Grail as much as I was, then I can tell right now that this is A LOT better. No I.D.’s production is soul sample galore & lyrically, it could very well be his most personal effort yet. It’s pretty much the male equivalent to Beyoncé’s latest album Lemonade, except I’ll go as far to say that it’s better

Score: 4/5