ΠΔV – “On My Way 2 Rexdale” review

This is the 5th full-length album from Toronto, Ontario, Canada rapper, singer/songwriter & producer ΠΔV. Breaking out in 2016 after signing to The Weeknd’s very own Republic Records imprint X♥O Records & his verse/production on “beibs in the trap” off of Travis Scott’s sophomore effort Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight, I think that it’s been made pretty clear that I personally haven’t been the biggest fan of ΠΔV’s music up to this point. Primarily because of his robotic delivery, insipid lyrics & generic production choices (especially on Reckless & Bad Habits). However I did find the Wheezy-produced Emergency Tsunami to be ΠΔV’s best work to date, albeit not by much. Demons Protected by Angels wasn’t really much better & the singles building up On My Way 2 Rexdale made me want to give it a chance.

“Sinking” finds him opening up about his loneliness & inner emotions over a drumless guitar instrumental that he make himself whereas “You” feels more of a Don Toliver cut since ΠΔV has little to no presence on it whatsoever. “Stay Up” co-produced by Internet Money Records in-house producer Synthetic talks about being awake when no one else is while “Burbs” reunites with Wheezy behind the boards talking about making it out the hood.

Playboi Carti joins ΠΔV on “Unlimited” so both of them can rock out together for 3 & a half minutes just before “Back 2 Business” talks about having a lot of problems he deals with as it is getting back in his bag after 2 & a half years. “U.N.I.” goes for a sample-heavy trap direction showing a romantic side to him leading into “1 of None” asking a shawty if she’d be willing to hide out with him.

“Nxxd You” admits to his love that he gets excited around her for no reason comparing her presence to taking ecstasy while “Real Me” takes a cloudier route thanks to Metro Boomin’ showing his romantic interest his genuine self. “Red” brings a moody trap beat to the table drowning in his double cup only seeing the aptly mentioned color, but then “Keep Going” gives a finger to the money & fame continuing his music career in spite of doubters.

The song “Get 2 U” has interestingly chilled out trap flare instrumentally that really caught my attention right out the gate talking about the drugs runnin’ through his body & the closer “Pain Away” asks for his partner to relieve him of all pain he’s been feeling. “Get U Back” starts the deluxe run with a moody 2-parter wanting this woman back in his life while “1 Fan” talks about a hoe who says she dated ΠΔV & he begs to differ since he ain’t ever claimed her to begin with.

“Globe” switches it up by showing a plugg influence talking about being known all around the world while the woozy “Potholes” finds him actively dodging thots in the streets. “Lift Service” tells a chick to back it up & drop it low for him telling her he loves it when she shakes 1 leg while the extended version of the single “Rexdale” sincerely talks about staying strong & powering through during difficult times.

Was surprised regarding the original version of “Rari” called “Now It’s Over” seeing the light of day officially looking back on when he was broke & those days being done with while “Bag” from the Brown Boy 2 mixtape reappears for whatever reason. Lil Uzi Vert pops up for the remix of “Habits” off ΠΔV’s sophomore effort Bad Habits that I enjoy more than the original while the “Go to Hell” intro off his debut EP Brown Boy sampling “Enormous” by Gucci Mane gives his homie some Bathing Ape to celebrate his prison release.

“Highway” originally recorded in late 2016-early 2017 speaks of the lavish lifestyle he’s been living for the past decade living every day as if it’s gonna be his last while “She Worth It” featuring co-production from London on da Track talks about the woman he currently has on his mind. “Paranoid” cavernously tackles the problems brought about by his new-found fame while “Fast Life” questions loyalties whilst flexing his new-found wealth & success over a vocal sample & hi-hats. The final bonus track “Take a Seat” thanks God for him being wealthy now & suggesting to hop in the foreign whip pulled up driving in.

If you told me the same guy who made some of the worst trap albums of 2010s like Reckless & Bad Habits would make his best full-length nearly 5 years after the most consistent mixtape in his discography, I don’t think I would’ve believed you. He’s always been an enjoyable producer & to hear him primarily self-producing his music again is what he needed, taking it back to his origins by returning to his Toronto home town.

Score: 3.5/5

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The Weeknd – “Hurry Up Tomorrow” review

Toronto, Ontario, Canada singer/songwriter The Weeknd ending a 5 year trilogy with his 6th studio LP. Rising to stardom in the early 2010s with a trilogy of highly acclaimed mixtapes, he then made his full-length debut in 2013 with Kiss Land which was a decent attempt at symbolizing tour life forming his own Republic Records imprint X❤️O Records after nearly signing to Drake’s label OVO Sound. The sophomore effort Beauty Behind the Madness proved to be even better as it started to incorporate elements of pop, although Starboy ended up being another mixed bag much like Kiss Land except he embraced a more electropop sound. Abel’s debut EP My Dear Melancholy, though was a solid return to his alternative R&B roots & let’s not forget After Hoursgoing on to becoming the best album of his career thus far in my opinion. Dawn FM picked up right where it left off & the final chapter Hurry Up Tomorrow is finally upon us.

“Wake Me Up” produced with Oneohtrix Point Never & Mike Dean is this epic 2-part intro to begin the end balancing synthwave & synth-funk started singing about his legacy being the only thing he has & it feels as if he’s dying whereas “Cry for Me” works in more synthesizers & hi-hats thanks to Metro Boomin’ interpolating “Within” by Daft Punk hoping that a woman I presume to be his ex Bella Hadid still cries for him. After the “I Can’t Fucking Sing” skit which I highly disagree with it’s title, “São Paulo” featuring Anitta was the weakest single of the 3 although I appreciate the fusion of funk mandelão, alternative R&B, synthwave, funk automotivo, mega funk & Brazilian phonk.

After the “Until We’re Skin & Bones” skit, the 3rd single “Baptized in Fear” dives into the feeling of being overwhelmed by guilt & regret going for more of a general alternative R&B vibe while “Open Hearts” explores themes of healing from heartbreak & learning to love again treats his love interest as an angel in disguise. The criminally short “Opening Night” sings over a futuristic instrumental to give him what I want & the show will start just before “Reflections Laughing” featuring a verse & drumless production from honorary WWE Hardcore Champion Travis Scott fresh off appearing with former WWE Intercontinental Champion & 10-time WWE tag team champion Jey Uso at the Netflix premiere of Monday Night RAW made possible by TKO board of directors members WWE President Nick Khan alongside TKO President & COO Mark Shapiro brings the 2 together to talk about vulnerability, self-reflection & the pressures of fame.

“Enjoy the Show” featuring Future has a clever interpolation of “Can’t Feel My Face” making way for both of them coming together for a light R&B-inspired duet revolving around the concept of heartbreak leading into the 2-parter “Given Up on Me” asking God for his company preferring the final half more personally. “I Can’t Wait to Get There” brings a synth-funk flare to the table singing about the darkness keeping his romantic interest shining ahead of the official WrestleMania XLI theme song “Timeless” featuring Playboi Carti with Doechii on the remix uniting over a Pharrell beat uniquely molding trap, pop rap, alternative R&B, synthwave, cloud rap, trap soul, wave music & plugg.

Meanwhile on “Niagara Falls”, we have another 2-part track portraying The Weeknd looking back on a woman he used to love & got to hold until the sun used to come up while “Take Me Back to LA” comes across as a official sequel to the After Hours highlight “Escape from LA” wanting to return to the very city that he wanted to escape from nearly 5 years ago. “Big Sleep” hooks up some prominent synths telling his lover that she knows she loves it when she’s angry while the synth-funk driven “Give Me Mercy” sings about wanting God to grant him leniency.

“Drive” starts the final leg of Hurry Up Tomorrow confessing fame being a disease & not wanting to waste others’ time while “The Abyss” describes the fleetingness of love between him & his partner in the midst of the world erupting into despair. “Red Terror” goes for an electro-pop direction showcasing a distanced relationship that never loses its primary spark while the synth-based “Without a Warning” hopes his fans will love him until his final day.

The title track officially concludes The Weeknd’s swan song hoping he finds what he’s looking for being done with the lies & the loss genuinely hopping his confession of wanting to change is enough transitioning into “High for This” while “Dancing in the Flames” starts the deluxe run with a decent teaser of what was to come synthpop, dance-pop, synthwave, freestyle & Hi-NRG encapsulating the idea of a passionate love that endures through risks & chaos. “Runaway” acoustically assures all are safe in the afterlife while “Society” is a dance-pop number wanting to show his lover how it feels. The final bonus track “Closing Night” that the Swedish House Mafia & Wheezy laced together ends with a “Opening Night” sequel that’s more fleshed out than the predecessor.

Whatever’s next for Abel this point forward, the new trilogy of albums that he’s put out during the first half of this current decade shows how much he’s grown since House of Balloons, Thursday & Echoes of Silence all put him in the forefront of alternative R&B & now pop music in general. The production culminates in alternative R&B, synthpop, synthwave, trap, progressive electronic, dance-pop, synth-funk, drumless, funk mandelão, funk automotivo, mega funk, Brazilian phonk, pop rap, cloud rap, trap soul, wave, plugg, synthpop, freestyle & Hi-NRG music reaching a point in his life where he wants to to shed skin & be reborn.

Score: 4.5/5

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ΠΔV – “Demons Protected by Angels” review

ΠΔV is 32 year old rapper, singer/songwriter & producer from Toronto, Ontario, Canada who came to my attention in 2016 after signing to The Weeknd’s very own Republic Records imprint X♥O Records & his verse/production on “beibs in the trap” off of Travis Scott’s sophomore effort Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight. Even though the first brown boy to get it poppin’ has dropped a total of 3 full-lengths along with a 5 mixtapes & an EP since, I think that it’s been made pretty clear that I personally haven’t been the biggest fan of ΠΔV’s music up to this point. Primarily because of his robotic delivery, insipid lyrics & generic production choices (especially on Reckless & Bad Habits). However I did find the Wheezy-produced Emergency Tsunami to be ΠΔV’s best work to date, albeit not by much. I also think he’s always been a pretty solid producer so when I found out he was gonna return behind the boards for his 4th album over here, it definitely had me intrigued.

“Count on Me” is a psychedelic opener produced by Mike Dean talking about self-trust whereas “Baby” takes a more symphonic route thanks to Boi-1da telling his girl to relax & play her part. Lil Uzi Vert tags along for “Dead Shot” comparing themselves to that of the DC Comics villain of the same name over an uninteresting Pro Logic instrumental, but then Lil Baby & Travis Scott come into the picture for synth-trap hybrid “Never Sleep”laced by Tay Keith talking about building their respective legacies.

Continuing from there with “Last of the Mohicans”, we have ΠΔV over a cloudy beat asking God to protect him & asking why he took Lil Keed this past spring prior to the Future-assisted “1 Time” coming through with an intoxicating Wheezy instrumental talking about smashing bitches. BenjiCold brings a rage vibe to “Demons in My Cup” resolving his problems with lean just before “Playa” with Gunna has a more meditative flare to it boasting.

“Weirdo” shoots for a more woozier aesthetic talking about your favorite rapper winking at him whenever he speaks while “My Dawg” with Lil Durk has an aquatic vibe to the beat discussing loyalty. “Don’t Compare” dives into more heady turf talking about giving his girl the real him while “Interstellar” with Uzi weaves some wailing synths into the fold saying everything they do invasive.

Meanwhile on “Loaded”, ΠΔV jumps over a rich trap beat bragging that all of his pocket have exploded while RealestK gives us the weakest feature on the album on “Lost Me” despite the piano instrumental & themes of betraying one’s trust. “Reset” with Bryson Tiller is of course a decent trap/R&B fusion expressing their desires to start their relationships from scratch while “Mismatch” with the current King of Detroit himself Babyface Ray finds the 2 over dense Wheezy production asking not to be judged for their past.

The song “Wrong Decisions” was another solid choice for a single with it’s cloudy instrumental & it’s subject matter detailing the cons of fame while the penultimate track “Destiny” keeps the spacious beats coming talking about being who he was meant to become. “Ball in Peace” however is maybe the best closing track of a ΠΔV project yet, as it serves as a heart-wrenching tribute to his homie jayxxclusive3 that passed away earlier this year.

Although I’m a little disappointed that it’s not primarily self-produced like he originally said it was gonna be because ΠΔV’s always been a great producer in my eyes, Demons Protected by Angels is a surprisingly decent listen & quite possibly his most consistent body of work thus far. The songwriting is getting better, he sounds less robotic & more human than he did on a lot of his earlier work, the production’s more detailed & almost every feature comes correct also. Fingers-crossed that he’ll continue to improve from here.

Score: 2.5/5

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The Weeknd – “Dawn FM” review

This is the highly anticipated 5th album from Toronto, Ontario, Canada singer/songwriter The Weeknd. Rising to stardom in the early 2010s with a trilogy of highly acclaimed mixtapes, he then made his full-length debut in 2013 with Kiss Land which was a decent attempt at symbolizing tour life. The sophomore effort Beauty Behind the Madness proved to be even better as it started to incorporate elements of pop, although Starboy ended up being another mixed bag much like Kiss Land except he embraced a more electropop sound. Abel’s debut EP My Dear Melancholy, though was a solid return to his alternative R&B roots & let’s not forget After Hours going on to becoming the best album of his career thus far in my opinion. Reasons being because of how much he artistically reinvented himself on there combined with the incredible portrayal of promiscuity as well as overindulgence & self-loathing. So given that, to say I was fiending for Dawn FM would be an understatement.

After the titular intro with fucking Jim Carrey playing a radio DJ, the official WWE WrestleMania XL theme song “Gasoline” kicks off the whole thing in a quasi-techno territory talking about wanting to believer there’s more to life whereas the nu-disco tinged “How Do I Make You Love Me?” ponders on what it takes to achieve eternal love. The official WWE Crown Jewel III theme song “Take My Breath” has a bit of a French house influence to it talking about a woman who loves to be on the edge leading into “Sacrifice” samples Denroy Morgan to tell his lover not to be catching feelings out here.

Following the “A Tale by Quincy” interlude, we have Abel in his funk bag for “Out of Time” admitting that he’s been working on himself just before “Here We Go…Again” brings in some bare synths talking about how life’s a dream & Tyler, The Creator’s verse on here actually comes off as half baked. “Best Friends” almost bares a synth-funk quality to it saying he & this woman can’t be close despite loving her, but then “Is There Someone Else?” is a slow jam confronting his lover asking if she’s cheating on him.

“Starry Eyes” sounds a bit similar to “Here We Go…Again” instrumentally excepting he’s singing about wanting to be there for the girl of his dreams & after the “Every Angel is Terrifying” interlude, “Don’t Break My Heart” showing a more vulnerable side saying he can’t take anymore heartbreak with some synthwave vibes.

The track “I Heard You’re Married” with Lil Wayne finds the 2 patronizingly telling married women to leave their men for them over yet another synth-funk beat while the WWE WrestleMania XXXIX theme song “Less Than 0” sounds very peppy sonically despite it’s depressing lyrics. “Phantom Regret” lastly ends the album with a spoken word interlude from Jim Carrey.

After Hours has quickly become The Weeknd’s best full-length album in a lot of people’s eyes including myself & Dawn FM is a great sequel to start the new year. Oneohtrix Point Never helps him dive further into a more synthpop based sound with additional elements of dance-pop, synthwave, contemporary R&B, nu-disco, synth-funk & progressive electronic on top of a neat radio station concept.

Score: 4/5

ΠΔV – “Emergency Tsunami” review

This is the 5th mixtape from 30 year old Toronto, Ontario, Canada rapper, singer/songwriter & producer ΠΔV. Coming onto my radar in 2016 after signing to The Weeknd’s Republic Records imprint X♥O Records along with his feature on “beibs in the trap” off of Travis Scott’s sophomore effort Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight, he would go on to release a total of 4 mixtapes as well as 3 full-length albums & an EP. Now I personally haven’t been the biggest fan of ΠΔV’s music up to this point because of his monotonous delivery, insipid lyrics & generic production choices. But once I found out Wheezy was producing Emergency Tsunami from top to bottom, my morbid curiosity got the best of me & I decided to go into it with an open mind.

After the “Breaking News” intro, the opener “Friends & Family” is a surprisingly compelling rags to riches story backed by a triumphant beat whereas the next track “Young Wheezy” with Gunna sees the duo paying tribute to the man behind the boards himself over a nondescript instrumental. The song “Nasty” of course gets raunchy over a buttery beat while the track “Repercussions” with Young Thug finds the 2 warning their opposition that they don’t want the smoke over a wavy instrumental.

The song “Vetement Socks” talks about how everything he buys is expensive over a tropical beat while the track “Don’t Need Friends” with Lil Baby sees the 2 talking about feeling relieved now that they’re getting money over an atmospheric instrumental. The song “Make It Right Back” over a woodwind-infused beat while the track “Trains” with Lil Keed finds the 2 talking about sleeping with hoes over an instrumental that sounds like it was made for Playboi Carti.

The song “Do Ya Deed” with SahBabii is a HIDEOUS ode to getting head despite the piano-inflicted production while the track “Droppin’ Tears” boasts over a wavy beat. The penultimate song “Modest” talks about being humble over a symphonic instrumental & before the “Breaking News” outro, the track “Turn & Twist” talks about going full throttle on top of an instrumental with some synthesizers & GORGEOUS background vocals.

Even though I don’t care for this mixtape, it’s actually safe for me to say to call it a cut above anything he’s done since Reckless. The features are cool & Wheezy’s production is top notch as is Mike Dean’s mastering, but I’ve come to terms that ΠΔV just doesn’t captivate me as a rapper. I mean I think his performances have improved a tad bit, but the songwriting is still pretty subpar

Score: 2/5

The Weeknd – “After Hours” review

The Weeknd is a 30 year old singer/songwriter from Toronto, Ontario, Canada that rose to stardom in the early 2010s with a trilogy of highly acclaimed mixtapes: House of Balloons, Thursday & Echoes of Silence. He then made his full-length debut in 2013 with Kiss Land, which was followed up in 2015 with Beauty Behind the Madness & then Starboy the year after. Last we heard from Abel was in 2018 with his debut EP My Dear Melancholy, & almost 2 years later now, he’s back with his 4th full-length album following a cameo in the A24 Films crime thriller Uncut Gems.

The opener “Alone Again” finds Abel sings about substance abuse over a glimmering instrumental from Ging & Illangelo, but then the drums kick in around the 2nd half & just hit you hard. The next track “Too Late” talks about how he & Bella Hadid are on their own now over a cool UK garage instrumental while the song “Hardest to Love” talks about how it isn’t easy for his past lovers to let him go over a liquid drum & bass instrumental.

“Scared to Live” is basically an apology to his exes over a gorgeous synth lead & some punchy drums while the song “Snowchild” talks about wanting to be famous at 16 & now he doesn’t want the fame anymore over a futuristic instrumental. The track “Escape from LA” talks about how Los Angeles will be the end of him over a melancholic beat from Metro Boomin’ while the song “Heartless” talks about being just that over a decent trap instrumental.

The track “Faith” talks about relapsing after being sober for a year over a hypnotic beat while the WWE WrestleMania XXXVII theme song “Blinding Lights” talks about how he can’t see clearly without Bella over a synthpop instrumental. The track “In Your Eyes” talks about how he sees something burning inside of this woman over a synthwave instrumental while the WWE WrestleMania XXXVIII theme song “Save Your Tears” pretty much tells Bella to cry another day over an 80s throwback instrumental.

“Repeat After Me” finds Abel telling her ex that he knows she really doesn’t love her new man over a euphoric instrumental from Tame Impala mastermind Kevin Parker alongside Oneohtrix Point Never while the title track is an open apology to all the women he’s hurt over an instrumental with some elements of future garage & progressive pop.

The closer “Until I Bleed Out” officially ends After Hours talks about not needing love or drugs anymore over an ambient pop instrumental while “Nothing Compares” complexly starts the deluxe run coming to terms with his feelings for his lover. “Missed You” realizes he still has feelings for a past love in his life & the final bonus track “Final Lullaby” sings to his lover helping them try to fall asleep.

When it comes to all 4 of The Weekend’s full-length albums, this is EASILY the best & I’d honestly put it on par with Trilogy. He artistically reinvents himself by expanding his alternative R&B sound in favor of synthpop, synthwave, future garage, ambient pop, trap soul, new wave & dream pop projecting the themes of loneliness, self-loathing & escapism.

Score: 4.5/5