Hurry, we forgot to put this out!
Quick! Stop reading this!
(One to catch up on: newcomer Jade Alston’s excellent Searching)
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This is the second line that recaps on any relevant posts. This is the third line that is often filler. This is the final line that leads you into the click below.
I’ve not been too big on The Neptunes beats in recent years, but this is pretty decent. Nice West Coast sound, and all the rappers come through with good raps. Apparently Tyga sends out some shots to Wiz Khalifa on this, for some bizarre reason there are rumoured tensions between them, rumours that have been denied by Wiz. I think this is just a case of the media/internets going crazy over nothing, as there’s really not anything particularly damning from Tyga’s verse (that I can make out anyway). Much anticipated mixtape from Game, one that’s been talked about all day today. Really looking forward to this, especially as a few tracks leaked earlier that were of a very good standard. Check out the tracklist below, which contains some huge features and producers. You can preview and download (click the artwork) the mixtape in the widget here. Next up, N*E*R*D come through with their own short introspection, and again it’s very intriguing viewing. One thing that really comes across here is the value they place on breaking boundaries, which is extremely refreshing to see in an industry full of autocracy. They seem to apply those beliefs to their music and their fanbase, which opens your eyes to their seemingly-genuine love for the music game. A very interesting look on how creative and appreciative even the biggest bands can be. From their massively-underrated Til The Casket Drops album, Life Change was undoubtedly one of the standout tracks and I’m surprised it took so long to get a video out for it. Boasting a rich Neptunes production that adds some intensity and energy to the track, the Thornton brothers lace the beat with some fantastic introspective rhymes that when isolated may seem incongruent with the style of production, but they do work together surprisingly well, as the heavy synths project and strengthen the lyrics. Good video too, with a believable and simple story throughout that compliments and enhances the lyrics appropriately. Throw in the customary shots of the artists, and you’ve got a decent video.
A version of this leaked back in August, but without T.I. and with a generally unfinished sound. This one sharpens up the production to really emphasise the melodies, which sound very similar to the early N*E*R*D material/Neptunes beats. That’s most definitely a good thing, as the bouncy, uptempo fusion style is a sound that remains exclusive to these guys, so it’s good to get as much of it as possible. Short contribution from Tip: it makes no real difference as the highlight is the infectious energy Pharrell’s vocals exude, which remain as catchy as ever. Talk about surfacing late. The original was out over 2 years ago, though I’m not sure which I prefer. As a hip-hop video, this one is much more effective as it keeps things pretty simple and adds a really personal feel with the zoomed in camera shots. However, the original worked for me on a more creative, artistic level as it offered a more engaging experience seperately to the audio, as well as when combined with it. It feels like more care was taken with it, and works as a much more original concept than the usual hip-hop fare. Decide for yourselves.
CRS-Don’t Stop! (original review here) Joe Budden-Black Cloud (original review here) Lloyd Banks-Start It Up ft. Swizz Beatz, Kanye West, Fabolous and Ryan Leslie (original review here)
What a way to come back though. When CRS first ‘formed’ back in 2007, the hype was incredible and their first release was easily one of the best songs of that year. Since then, they’ve only popped up once more on the Everyone Nose Remix and it was assumed the project they were reportedly working on was scrapped. However, Ye announced at the Runaway premiere that the group wasn’t dissolved, and immediately follows that up with this huge track. It’s a really high-tempo, energetic effort with each of them coming through with good verses. Lupe takes it for me, with his quickfire flow being the highlight of the track. Great to have CRS back!
Nicki steals the show as far as the vocals go with another great feature, coming through with a solid flow, though Pharrell’s memorable hook is definitely not far behind. The beat is the real winner here though, as I’m a huge fan of these atmospheric, soft summer beats.
Good Life is a really enjoyable track too, especially on the hook which meshes together a relaxed synth and light electro influences to create a memorable focus point. The F*** You remix is decent, though the changes to the beat aren’t quite the right ones in my view. It slows down the original significantly, which takes away some of its charm. Worth checking out to judge for yourself.
Lupe opens the track with another good verse, and as ever makes you think with some of his lines-definitely one to listen to a couple of times to get everything. Pharrell’s verse is OK, if a little disappointing given the company. Diggy does a good job, bringing a pretty nice mixture of flows to close the track out.
Calling My Phone ft. Slim (of 112) Visuals for the pretty awesome track that Ajay posted a while back. As he said then, a signature track for the summer!
I’ve sorted through over 50 R&B songs over the last week and have narrowed it down to the best 24 and for that reason you shouldn’t at all be dissuaded from clicking on. We have some real gems for you, from the big names, to many a newcomer. Click that red text to find out whether I’m true to my word, or whether I’ve completely ballsed this feature up….(now that’s pressure!) Turns out the live video wasn’t the official video after all. Liking this one a lot, as N*E*R*D bring their typical colour, style, energy and fun to every aspect. Utilising as much colour as possible, they make the video a rare combination of fun-loving and slick. Definitely does justice to the song. I’ve been waiting on this video for the longest time, so trust it to drop when I’m in the middle of trying to get R&B Friday done before the England match kicks off. Terrible timing. Like the track, and can’t wait to see what they’ve done with the video. Audio can be swacked here.
Definitely one to check out if you like a bit of dance, or general club/uptempo tracks. Wouldn’t be surprised if this ended up being a signature track of the upcoming summer.
This one will divide Game fans. It’s a very mainstream soundand certainly puts a dent in Game’s fabled beat selection skills. It’s a good beat, don’t get me wrong, but for me it’s not a Game beat at all. Having said that, his flow is pretty decent and you have to credit the guy for stepping out of his comfort zone and trying something new. JT and Pharrell bring everything you’d expect from them on this, with some decent vocals and adlibs throughout. Mainstream/chart fans will really enjoy this, whether you’re into Game’s music or not. Being into Pharrell/JT will be enough for this one. Sadly, that does extradite the hip-hop heads who like Game on his raw tip, but there we are.
This track can be best described as being toned down electro with hip-hop overtones. Pharrell drops some nice rhymes on this one, and fits in with this one comfortably. It’s pretty different to it anything I’ve heard before, and will undoubtedly be a massive sound/track for the summer. This is one the electro-hop fans will definitely want to go for, not least as she’s part of the highly respected Ed Banger dance label. And she’s hot.
Some nice features on these tracks, and I’ve been fairly pleased with some of the tracks that have leaked thus far and hopefully these will continue the trend. Snoop tends to work well with Pharrell, and his previous collab with The-Dream was likeable. CRS (Child Rebel Soldier) is a Hip Hop ‘supergroup’ composed of Lupe Fiasco (The Child), Kanye West (The Rebel), and Pharrell Williams (The Soldier). As a group they had plans to release an album late this year, however that (along with the group itself) appears to have been scrapped completely. As there been no mention of this group, or it’s future endeavours, this year at all. This track, Us Placers, features the vocals of Radiohead lead singer Thom Yorke and was on Kanye’s Can’t Tell Me Nothing mixtape.
First off, Lil’ Wayne looks like he’s going to have to spend 1 year in prison, due to a gun-related charge. It’s believed that he is going to have to plead guilty and will get 1 year as part of a plea-deal. If he pleads not guilty, he’s looking at a 15-year stretch. Secondly, and finally, The Game’s dropping his street single, which features Gucci Mane (…) next week for The R.E.D. Album. He’s also expected to drop the mainstream one shortly after, which features Pharrell. Also, he apparently wants to now be known as Game, and not The Game. No deal.
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