|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
This all star cast ensemble to bring us visuals for their recent remix of Tyga’s Rack City. Nothing really special to see, fairly basic hip hop video, but for a song like this, that’s all it needs. It’s just good to see such names get together and do something like this; as you all know, I love my collabos. Originally I said my favourite verse of mine on this strangely addictive track is T.I.’s, but I’ve really warmed to Wale’s opening verse. I wasn’t particularly enamoured with the original version of this track when it first dropped, but the addition of Young Jeezy has certainly made me pay attention. Production wise it’s almost tailor-made for Jeezy, who has been in a rich vein of form as of late, whilst the visuals themselves make this video a decent watch. I can’t say I’m that excited about B.o.B’s next album (given the pop-styled nature of his last effort), but if he returns to his more innovative style of his early career then it should get some positive shine.
Tyga ft. Wale, Fabolous, Meek Mill, Young Jeezy & T.I. – Rack City (remix)
Accompanied by a relatively apocalyptic artwork that sets a tone of intensity, the tape boasts a hefty 19 tracks with a featured artist on almost every one, including an appearance from the reclusive legend Dr. Dre, alongside today’s favourites 2 Chainz, Young Jeezy, Pusha T and many more. I’ve recently had the impression from hip-hop fans that T.I.’s repeated incarcerations are leading to him becoming an afterthought when discussing the genre, and I’m sure he’ll be keen to rectify that with this project. Free stream and download below.
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. This song was like an announcement that both Jeezy and T.I. are back to infectiously infest our airwaves, and the video is a good job of delivering that message too. Nice materialistic video, which does well in conveying the message that the problems these stars have to go through, whilst bad in itself, ultimately is nothing compared to certain hardships, encapsulated perfectly by the following Jeezy lines from this song: “Sometimes you wanna scream to God, but he can’t hear you Even so, these fellas have no time for haters it seems. So Jeezy’s album, TM103, is supposedly out soon? Looks like the Snowman is back in time for Christmas! See what I did there? I’ll get my coat.
The hard-hitting beat keeps things simple yet engaging, with a crashing percussion and hypnotising vocal sample set to a tempo perfect for the high-octane, densely-packed verses each of these rappers can provide. None of them disappoint either: T.I. opens with a laidback verse that switches speeds throughout and bounces off the percussion nicely, Yela follows up with a hushed verse that throws a few different flows into the mix effectively, whilst the Slaughterhouse quartet close the track out with four absolutely blistering, dizzying verses. An excellent effort that hip-hop heads will be replaying for quite some time.
A strong track, produced well by the infamous J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, that should get a fair few plays for those of you who like these artists. Question on everyone’s lips is when the hell is Jeezy bringing out the new album!?
“how could our hearts be so close when our minds so far apart” Surprising track from T.I., as we’re given a very mainstream/club-oriented effort with hints of 2003 Tip thrown in. It’s very solid though, and works very well as a catchy, uncomplicated head-nodder. The highlight of the track is undoubtedly the production, with a stepped, chimey melody bringing a playful vibe to the track, whilst thick bass and percussion work keeps the tempo from being carried away by those melodies. Rico’s hook is actually surprisingly enjoyable too, with the distorted and chopped effect working well with the ‘sleazy’ feel of the video. Fairly regular raps from Tip, with his flow diversity being a notable feature of the rhymes on this occasion.
From Ricky’s Ashes to Ashes, December 24th. B.o.B gives us another video from No Genre just as he releases the full tape, and it’s another great track. He comes through with a more conscious lyrical message on the track, running through lots of issues and questions in captivating manner that is aided by his variety in the flows. Really enjoying the video too, as his lyrics are brought to life with the a thought-provoking set of still images that certainly add their own messages to Bobby’s. Most importantly, the full mixtape is now available below. Really looking forward to this as the two tracks we’ve caught from it thus far have been superb. Tracklist is available after the jump below. B.o.B-No Genre (Mixtape) → Continue Reading B.o.B-No Genre Mixtape and The Watchers Video Pretty much everything you’ve come to expect from a Tip video: lots of ‘street’ scenery, plenty of confidence from Tip, and the general feel of a southern hip-hop video. First time I’ve actually come across this track, and it’s not bad at all. It’s by no means his strongest material ever, but I can see this quietly becoming quite the popular anthem for mainstream hip-hop fans. Enjoying Rocko’s flow in his verse too, as he brings his own high-tempo style alongside T.I.’s own tongue-twisting delivery.
The week has already seen a great new video from Tank, two new remixes from T-Pain, a captivating video for Bruno Mars’ Grenade, the UK’s own Chipmunk working with Chris Brown, another release from Trey Songz’s upcoming mixtape, Keri Hilson and Kanye West getting together for a new remix, Keyshia Cole and Nicki Minaj’s collabo video, and the unexpected release of a John Legend and Estelle EP. Lots up there, and lots down below. Click on.
Cudi delivers what seems to now be a trademark chorus and T.I. comes through with some brash lyrics as you’d expect. It’s Kanye’s verse that really makes this track though, particularly the pure passion and anger you hear in his voice as he raps about how rappers like T.I. and Lil’ Wayne have been targeted & locked up. You can tell it’s a subject that troubles him, as he’s no stranger to being targeted himself (from the media, rather than the authorities!). The beat on this is just perfect, as it completely sets the dark atmosphere that the Cudi hook and Kanye’s verse are trying to portray. One line that really stands out from Kanye’s verse:
This is a really good song though, one that Eminem fans as well as T.I. fans will really enjoy, as both artists feature heavily on the track together. Unlike the often generic collaborations you see, with the guest star delivering a simple 16 bars and that’s all.
Here he links up with Jazmine Sullivan, unfortunately with no great effect. It’s another disappointing effort from Tip. I’m usually the first person to champion his work, but this just sounds weak . It’s not your typical Southern banger, the track has more of a reggae feel to it, which in fairness suits T.I.’s flow quite well. Jazmine’s vocals add nothing special to the song either (I’m not going to lie, had I not have known who was singing, I could’ve quite easily have mistaken her for a male vocalist). I’m sure it’ll still go down a treat with Tip’s mainstream fans though, so grab the audio Pretty simple video for an OK track. Admittedly, both are a little underwhelming given the talent on show, especially the video which doesn’t really add anything to the audio. One thing that I do like about this track/video is that you can take the lyrics seriously, given both of their past indiscretions. Always good to have some realism. Audio is here.
It’s given a very hip-hop twist for the verses, with Tip and Bob coming through with decent, if unspectacular, verses. Mohombi delivers a hook that opens this track up to a mainstream audience, which will certainly be the key feature of this track. One for the pop fans. Quincy Jones-Sanford & Son ft. T.I., B.o.B., Prince Charlez & Mohombi One thing that surprised me about this track was just how replayable it is. It feels like a smart amalgamation of Tip’s older material (e.g. Rubberband Man) from a production side with the improvements and sensibility in his more recent material. The Southern beat is extremely infectious, and has a vintage sound that is played up to full effect in this simple, but effective video. It looks and feels almost like a jam session, which adds plenty of character to the track and gives it that raw impulsiveness associated with jam/freestyle sessions of years gone by. Murray didn’t like this track, but I do: if you haven’t already, see which side of the fence you lie on here.
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. Neither of the artists actually involved in this song feature in the video, which is an interesting move. What it does feature is a lot of ladies miming the lyrics of the song, which is both interesting and funny. It works for portions of the song, but in others it looks stupid (in Game’s closing verse, one girl is miming WAY too obviously). Good to see something different though. Audio is way back here.
First off, there’s some more unreleased 2Pac, which is really worth picking up. Getting to listen to previously-unheard mid-90s material is always a rare pleasure. The second is a remix to Tangerine, one of the better songs from Big Boi’s superb recent solo album, adding Rick Ross and Bun B to the mix. Finally, we’ve got an uplifting T.I. and Chris Brown collab, which I assume is from King Uncaged. Big Boi-Tangerine Remix ft. T.I., Khujo, Rick Ross and Bun B
Right, so let’s get this remix out there. I’ve been hugely looking forward to this since the news was broken, specifically that Andre verse. That’s all I’ve got for you sadly, as my laptop issues have obvious curtailed my access to music somewhat! Edit (Indi): Thought I’d give some of my thoughts (due to previously mentioned laptop issues, Ajay was unable to finish this post!). Drake kicks off this track by flipping it with something that sounds lifted straight from his classic So Far Gone mixtape, the rest of them pick up the original beat with their raps. Always exciting to hear a new Andre 3000 verse, I’m not sure who I’d credit with the best verse though, possibly Kanye, need to listen to this some more still. Clean version (just below) for you now folks. Chris Brown-Deuces Remix ft. Drake, Kanye, Andre 3000, T.I. and Fabolous
-Former Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante is working on a collaboration with RZA. -Mos Def has signed with G.O.O.D. Music -Nick Cannon has challenged Eminem to a boxing match -Kanye’s album is set to be released on November 23rd
To recap: Trey Songz’s latest visuals, Khalil’s debut visuals, the official single from the upcoming Foreign Exchange album, Cee-Lo’s anticipated F*** You video, a fantastic cover of Outkast’s Prototype, and finally a new Trey Songz and Drake collaboration. Oddly, there are some huge hip-hop names making appearances in this episode. Click on to see what they’re doing hanging around these parts, and what everyone else is up to.
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Copyright © 2012, Overrating the Underrated - All Rights Reserved |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Recent Comments