After a few weeks away, R&B Fridays is back and swollen with star quality for this week’s edition. Of course, in keeping with tradition, it’s also released on a Sunday. Nice to be back into routine eh?
G.O.O.D. Friday is back! The first single from the upcoming G.O.O.D. Music album, 3 of it’s heaviest hitters come together with 2 Chainz for an official teaser of what to expect from the hotly-anticipated project.
A more meaty, addictive production than Theraflu, this will undoubtedly get some heads nodding, with the heavy bass in particular ensuring speakers up and down the country will be rattled. Sean opens the rapping with a strong performance, his laidback style being an excellent fit for this slowed-down beat, whilst Pusha’s sharper, more aggressive verse contrasts with Sean’s well. The beat undergoes a makeover for Ye’s verse, with a strong electronic influence upping the tempo and raising the energy levels of the verse, before slowing back down for 2 Chainz’s contribution. The hook anchors the song well enough to add a solid structure to the track, and this is a decent all-rounder that sets up the album nicely. Stream the track here, or grab it on the US iTunes below.
What better way to get back into the OTU saddle than with the first of a triumverate of Kanye West blasts today! Theraflu came through on Wednesday night, and whilst there was initial confusion on whether it was Khaled featuring Kanye or the other way around, it’s since been confirmed it’s a Kanye track with a Khaled (and DJ Pharris) feature.
Produced by Hit-Boy, the beat combines deep bass with electronic melodies for a sharp urgency, providing a relatively simple and relatively ‘safe’ backdrop for a decent set of raps from Ye, who switches between confessional, arrogant and seething throughout. Lyrically, it’s similar to the work on Watch the Throne, with flashes of quality surrounded by a little too much simplicity, and when backed by an instrumental that’s little more than solid, it’s probably not the spectacular return many of us had hoped for.
Click here to stream this over at Kanye’s place.
We’ve seen many weekly series come and go here at OTU, but it’s been a while since we’ve launched a new one, which frankly isn’t in keeping with our ‘we do things differently’ mantra.
That would be the marketing spin on this. The truth is, the thought occurred to me that as modern-day music listeners, we consume so much music on a daily and weekly basis that there have become two clear pools of choice when picking something to listen to: either a classic, old-school track or something relatively new. “What’s wrong with that?”, I hear you cry. “The vast middle in between those two”, I reply.
There are countless songs that lie in that grey area of being a little old, but nowhere near aged enough to be considered ‘classic’, and often they get overlooked. Several tracks may have been ‘ahead of their time’, and you’ll find them an almost brand new listen in today’s climate, or it may simply be revisiting an excellent track to recrete that ‘first time’ feel once again. Welcome to your friendly reminder of tracks we may have once loved (or even completely ignored), and enjoy the fresh yet familiar feeling that accompanies each one.
It’s been a very long time in the making, but almost 6 months after its release (and positive reception), Jay and Kanye’s banger is given the video treatment.
The video is comprised primarily of live footage, accompanied by a mastered version of the matching live audio, which also boasts one or two new production additions, namely a new sample in the hook and an altered outro.
The key seller here is the vast number of effects used throughout the video to make it a little more lavish than the typical live video, including double and triple vision, plenty of sharp scene changes, big, bold lettering thrown in sparingly, amongst many more. It’s a fresh, unique twist on using live footage, and feeds off the natural energy of the song with a high-octane, perpetually-moving style.
Grab this, if for some reason you don’t already own it, on iTunes now.
Grab your scarf and gloves, stick on a pair of headphones and warm up with the second volume of our Winter EP. There’s been a rather large gap between this edition and the first instalment, but it’s arrived eventually and couldn’t be better timed with the weather getting much colder recently.
Once again, our resident designer (Indi) has lovingly put together a crispy new artwork, which adds a nice touch of visuals to accompany the listening pleasure of the 5 tracks included below. As per the previous edition, there’s no restriction on genre, artist or anything else: if it feels wintery, it’s got a chance of making the cut!
Click here for volume 1, and head below for volume 2.
One of the few rappers with a brand anywhere near Jay and Kanye’s, T.I. jumps on the next single from Watch The Throne with what deserves to be an official remix. T.I. slides onto the vibrant, energetic production with consumate ease, bringing his speedy flow to the pounding beat and lacing it with some very enjoyable raps. There’s nothing about his contribution that feels out of place, and hence it undoubtedly makes for the best remix of the track to date. Having not listened to the original in quite some time (I tired of the album quickly), it’s a great refresh of what is an excellent production, and hopefully there’s more to come from Tip.
I’ve tried to hate Roscoe Dash, the man musically stands for everything I’m against, but I just can’t, his hooks are too damn catchy. With that said, here are the much-anticipated visuals for Big Sean’s collaboration with the aforementioned artist and Kanye West.
Big Sean’s album was a pretty decent effort, if a little mainstream, with this track summing up the vibe of the album. Hype Williams directs this video, so you know exactly what to expect as he pulls out the same tricks for nearly every damn video he makes, and does the same again here.
As for the track itself, it didn’t immediately hit me when I first heard it on the album, but it certainly grew on me. If you haven’t already, check out Big Sean’s debut album for yourself right now.
Arguably the best track on Jay-Z and Kanye West’s Watch The Throne, Wiley is the first big name to jump on this terrific production as he throws a verse in alongside th0se on the original version for an unofficial remix.
A fairly decent verse too from Wiley as he brings a solid flow with on this bassy production, alongside flashes of quality with his lyrics, although they would have surely benefitted from a more emotional, intense delivery to add some real credence to a few of his more introspective lines. Still, it’s an enjoyable contribution to a fantastic track and certainly doesn’t affect the natural progression and momentum of the track.
Jay-Z and Kanye West-No Church In The Wild Remix ft. Wiley and Frank Ocean
A lineup that promises much, but for me the end product unfortunately falls slightly short of the quality rightfully expected of this superstar collective.
Taken from Pusha’s upcoming Fear of God EP, the track boasts a Lex Luger (or Lex Luger replica) production, and Pusha comes through with some solid work on his verse that adapts to that urgent, intense production style nicely. His verse comes sandwiched between two snarling Kanye West verses that don’t push any lyrical boundaries, and hence are slightly disappointing, whilst Jeezy’s closing verse suffers from the same flaws. The hook is solid, as the beat retracts into a calmer, more serene style that blends well with Jeezy’s gravelly voice. Worth a listen, but nothing that will get much long-term play.
The first official video from the collaborative album from the duo arrive, timed nicely as the dust settles on the album release.
Despite my slight disappointment in the album (review here), and despite already seeing criticism for this video in various outlets, I’m actually a fan of the video. There’s lots of positivity, energy and a feelgood vibe that’s been entirely absent from the careers (both visual and audio) of both men in recent years, and whilst at times they overdo it trying to convince everyone they’re still ‘young’ at various points, you’ll grin at watching the duo cut loose and take themselves less seriously for a change. It’s an infectious positivity, and works alongside the soulful audio to humanise them considerably.
Thematically the video is pretty simple, with the duo rapping in a fairly desolate environment and driving around in a ridiculously-customised Maybach. Sharp-eyed viewers will also spot a cameo from comedian Aziz Ansari, with his hilariously-awkward dancing at around 2:31 worthy of a few rewatches. A good video, and the audio can be found on the Watch The Throne album, available everywhere now.
After delays, rumours of unrest and much more, Monday saw the long-awaited release of Jay-Z and Kanye West’s Watch The Throne. Arguably, one of the most anticipated collaborative albums in the past decade, it’s undoubtedly one of those rare events that captures the attention of the entire hip-hop community, consequentially resulting in thousands of reviews and opinions. Add one more to that list.
There’s been no hiding my positive opinions on Kanye West and his work over the years, whilst any appreciation for Jay-Z at this stage surely goes without saying (regardless of The Blueprint 3). The collaboration of the two should theoretically give rise to one of the finest synergies in hip-hop history, with two vanguards of hip-hop cementing the genre’s dominance across music.
Well here it is. Finally a joint worth listening to from ‘Ye & Jay’s upcoming Watch The Throne (August 1st).
It’s all about the sampling on this. Kanye flips Otis Redding’s Try A Little Harder with spectacular effect, creating a looping soulful instrumental with subtle licks of drum to boot. ‘Ye and Jay’s chemistry is strong as they trade bars back and forth but lyrically the track comes up somewhat short, both in terms of rhyme content and also timing (at a measly 3:01, the sample deserved more airplay). Although even with that said, this is still top stuff and for me personally one of the best tracks either have released in a long time. I don’t think this will be an official single as such but might give us clues (hopefully) as to how the rest of the LP will sound.
The artwork was revealed 10 days ago, and now we get a confirmed tracklist to go along with it. The hype for the project is multiplying by the minute, and from the various previews floating around the web, it looks as though we’re in for a superb hip-hop album to dominate (what’s left of) the summer, if the rumoured August release is indeed correct.
No other rappers on the tracklist which is interesting, and got me asking ‘who could really feature on this sort of project?’. Eminem and Nas are the only two names that stick out for me, though you’re welcome to express opinions otherwise. Having said that, the vocalist features look good, with Beyonce and Frank Ocean alongside Curtis Mayfield and Otis Redding (naturally, the latter pair will be samples). Click below to see the tracklist. → Continue Reading Kanye West and Jay-Z-Watch The Throne Tracklist
An acoustic cover of Kanye West’s Can’t Tell Me Nothing taken from Taking Back Sunday’s set at the Warner Brothers Summer Sessions.
Although the synth, sample and bass heavy original has been stripped down to just two guitars and the two TBS vocalists, the mood of the original hasn’t changed one bit. There’s still an air of bravado, hostility and of defiance that made the original such a powerful and telling song.
It threatened to descend into the swampy marshes of urban myth, but the official release of the artwork and pre-order has confirmed the much-anticipated release of the collaborative album from hip-hop luminaries Kanye West and Jay-Z, set to be unleashed on August 2nd.
The artwork was designed by Riccardo Tisci, and not only looks metallic but is reputed to actually be made of metal, a clever move to treat the under-utilised impact of touch to increase physical sales. Next up: scratch-and-sniff albums.
There are a few tracklists floating around, but none have been officially confirmed. Of course, we’ll deliver that to you when an official tracklisting is provided. For now, get excited that the project is happening!
We first got wind of this track about a year ago, when Kanye West went round to Twitter and Facebook’s respective headquarters and performed on top of tables. That just is so exquisitely Kanye West, isn’t it?
Mama’s Boyfriend was slated to appear on what eventually became the utterly brilliant My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, but was ultimately left out. Upon my first few listens of the track, it’s clear why: It’s much removed from the dark atmosphere of MBDTF, instead resonating the soul-sample driven tracks from The College Dropout. The subject matter doesn’t stray far from the song’s title, with West explaining his feelings towards his late mother’s boyfriends in an amusing and self-reflective way. This should have been released around Mother’s Day!
Packed with the classic sounding Kanye production and introspective lyrics, Mama’s Boyfriend is a delicate, heartwarming and feel good song. And as always, it’s when he’s at his most vulnerable that Mr. West is at his most irresistible.
Originally leaked a few months back, you’d be forgiven for thinking this was already released, but it’s re-emergence marks the official release of the huge collaboration.
Having avoided the original leak of the video, I can’t comment on whether anything is actually different, but it is a pretty solid video from start to finish. Hovering somewhere in between the metaphorical style of his feature-length Runaway video and a regular music video, with hints of artistic flair alongside some gruesome, horror-inspired imagery that works with the more literal vibe of Monster. In particular, the oft-revisited scene early on involving Kanye rapping in front of/holding off a bunch of ‘zombies’ outside his doors has a very ‘us versus the paparazzi’ vibe, and hence makes you sympathise with the ‘monster’ that is Kanye West.
Some great fashion moments too, with Jay-Z’s rather slick smarts probably taking the win, though Kanye doesn’t exactly come up short either. Worth a watch, and I’m sure everyone has the audio by now.
Visuals for Kanye and Katy’s pop collaboration, and with a title like E.T. the video was always going to be sci-fi themed. I did fear that they’d make this video pretty cheesy, but thankfully I was wrong! The CGI effects look great and it makes for an interesting video to watch. You can’t say that much about the large quantity of pop videos out there.
Alarmingly Katy Perry looks quite frightening for the majority of this video too. Having said that, in the final scene she looks weirdly hot.
That’s a nice cue for me to shutup! Grab audio from here.
As Liam rightly suggested back when the solo Kanye version of this dropped, this track looks set for Snoop’s upcoming album. Can’t say I was particularly won over by the original, and sadly that’s not really been changed here.
The nature of the beat actually seems to fit Snoop a little better than it does ‘Ye, though that’s not entirely a compliment: I’m not convinced this is the right beat for either artist, and may be better suited to a Kid Cudi or Wiz Khalifa type rapper. When incorporating an edgy, guitar-laden style to the production, keeping the tempo down means you’ve really got to come through lyrically to play off those sharp tones and sadly, I don’t feel as though that’s done here. Had it been sped up, it may have been compensated with some nicer flows, but there we are. Not for me sadly, but may be very accessible to the mainstream/radio listeners.
At the SXSW festival in Texas (which may I add, sounds like it’s been a brilliant festival for hip hop!), Kanye and the rest of his GOOD Music clan tore up the stage with probably my favourite track from the GOOD Friday weekly drops.
I had actually forgotten how immense this song was! Kanye sounds the best in this video out of these guys, though I was a little disappointed with Cudi’s performance in this. Having seen him live, I know he has a much better presence with the microphone, so I can only assume there was a problem with the sound levels on his mic.
A few interesting remixes this week, with over a third of this week’s tracks being of the remix variety. Other great tracks in there too, making this an R&B Friday that you’ll forgive for being a little late to the party.
Quite easily my favourite track on Ye’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, the video has been anticipated for weeks and finally, the Hype Williams directed video has arrived for Yeezy’s amazing All Of The Lights.
Amidst a flurry of epilepsy-inducing flashing fonts, we’re taken on the story of a lonely girl wandering around the ghetto alone through the night. Whilst this happens, the father abuses her mother and gets imprisoned as a result, only to find someone else in his bed upon his return, for which he exacts revenge. Quite a worrying, yet harshly true picture of modern life for some people.
It’s done fantastically well and manages to capture both sides of the track: the story above (told in the verses), and also the euphoric, triumphant feel the instrumentals and hook combine to emanate, highlighting the schizophrenic nature of the track. It’s just a shame it sounds like it ends too sharply after cutting Fergie’s verse out.
Not familiar with Teachers? Me niether. After a little bit of research I can tell you they helped Yeezy and Bon Iver produce the original Monster (you can grab the original here if you already haven’t). I really wasn’t sure what to expect with this.
Having overplayed it so much myself, I was starting to become pretty bored of this track. However, my appreciation for the single has been taken to a whole new level. The Teachers have stripped the whole production right back leaving nothing but the original verses (minus Rick Ross’), giving it a far more atmospheric feel. It’s much eerier, in-keeping with the whole Monster theme. The drums take a front row seat on this one, leaving the guitar riffs to blend superbly into the background, building and dropping when needed to match each verse. It’s genuinely blown me away, I think I may actually prefer it to the original.
From Whoo Kid and Travis’ upcoming Let The Drummer Get Wicked mixtape (in preparation for his debut Give The Drummer Some album), Travis unleashes another intense remix of an already-fiery hip-hop track.
I’ve not taken to the original version of H.A.M. as much as I thought I would after the first listen, though that’s partly down to my recent penchant for old school tracks. Either way, this is a fantastic remix and in my (not so humble) opinion, it improves the production considerably. The addition of spiky guitar riffs works superbly with the existing production, and similarly the live drum aspect plays off that operatic, powerful and aggressive production style served up by Lex Luger. In particular, the transition from the opera style back into the track towards the end is perfectly suited to Travis’ spiky, energetic additions and for me, this trumps the original.
This is unbelievably good. The interlude for the original was an enjoyable orchestral-style short, and the Portland Cello Project expand that into a full cover of both the interlude and the main song of the highest order.
It’s always great to see these crossovers from the classical world (as I recall, The String Quartet used to really lead the way in this respect. Are they still around?), and this most certainly makes for brilliant listening. They capture the energy, passion and uplifting vibe of the original without the use of any vocals, which is a fantastic testament to their ability as musicians. A must-watch.
Kanye West has just let loose of some very interesting info, in a way only Kanye could: on Twitter, and all in capital letters. WELL, IT GOT MY ATTENTION KANYE.
‘Announcement’ 1: Watch The Throne, the collaborative album from Kanye and Jay-Z, will be released in 2 months. This isn’t really new info, but it’s nice to have it confirmed.
‘Announcement 2′: The official video for the fantastic All of The Lights will be released in just one week. Really looking forward to it, and hopefully he’s snagged all of the guest features for the visuals.
‘Announcement 3′: His next album will be released THIS summer. Now, we’ve heard brazen promises like this before (after 808s and Heartbreak I recall a similar statement), so I’ll believe this when I see it but it clearly means he’s still working on new material which is great. It’s altogether possible too, given that this album has been the odd combination of a critical success and a (comparatively) slow seller.
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